5am, Saturday 14th June 2008
Police confirmed all protesters had been removed from the train, and arrests went “into double figures”.
Twenty-nine climate campaigners halted a train taking fuel to Drax power station in North Yorkshire on Friday.
Those arrested face possible charges of conspiracy to obstruct trains, obstructing trains and railway trespass, police said.
The train remains where it stopped, close to the village of Carlton, near Goole, ahead of an inspection.
Up to 100 police officers, some in riot gear, boarded the wagons of the train in the operation to remove the activists.
Supt Terry Nicholson of British Transport Police said: “It’s been a lengthy operation but our priority has been the safety of the public and our officers.
“We have been dealing with the protesters in a safe and professional manner and we have been arresting people for obstructing the railway.”
One of the party of demonstrators said they had chained themselves to the train and would need to be cut free if police wanted to remove them.
Speaking from the train, one of the protesters, called Natalie, said: “The police have moved into the hoppers. They’ve started taking stuff. There must be about 10 of them on the train but loads more around it.”
Some of the protesters could be seen moving on to the top of the steel arch of the bridge over the River Aire where the train is parked, a few miles from the village of Carlton.
The train was stopped in Rawcliffe, on the border of North and East Yorkshire, apparently by a protester waving a red flag.
The environmental campaigners used an iron girder bridge and climbing equipment to scale the 12ft high truck.
“This was a complex operation as many of those arrested had to be cut free having attached themselves to rail vehicles and the overbridge,” the BTP statement added.
The protesters had hoped to stay on the train for several days and had with them food and water as well as a portable lavatory.
See original story at http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20894
Video of start of eviction attempt
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Update:
At 12pm on Friday evening the last three coal train blockaders where evicted from the bridge above the blockaded train. The occupation had lasted 16 hours and occupiers had shovelled around 30 tons of coal onto the tracks. 20 people where cut out of arm tube lockons and 9 were taken of the bridge, 29 were arrested and charged with conspircy to commit Unlawful and malicious obstruction of trains. Everyone was out of the police cells and accounted for by 10pm Saturday evening. Everyone is bailed to return… you guessed it on the 31st of July and 4th 5th and 6th of August. The fires at Drax are still burning but the movement to stop coal is growing fast.