[Onthebarricades] UK Climate Camp Day of Action

Tue Aug 21 02:20:27 PDT 2007

Protesters got near BAA HQ but apparently didn't manage to blockade it due to repression, though some reports suggest gates were blocked for some time.  The main problem appears to have been that protesters were less numerous than the army of violent police who turned out to crush them.  But the BBC conclusion that the protest was effectively squelched is countered by some of what's appearing on sites like Indymedia.

Vicious fascist tactics by police were widespread, including violent arrests, assaults on demonstrators, road blocking, pigpenning and the use of riot squads and horses.  Protesters have been arrested on a variety of dubious charges, one for "refusing to give police a name and address after anti-social behaviour" (i.e. catch-alls and abusive laws were in widespread use).  Police did not even allow the march along the proposed third runway route to proceed unhindered.  The model of repression is a continuation of that used at Mayday and DSEi down the years, and shows that violent practices which would be intolerable in a minimally free and tolerant society have now been normalised as a means to crush dissent.  The police are basically showing their commitment to total war against forces of freedom and their disregard for the liberty and welfare of others, which confirms once more their evil nature as a social assemblage.  They act in a way that even they would condemn as violent and intolerant if anyone else did it, yet think this hypocrisy from a comparative perspective can be excused by their failure to think, by mere operational convenience elevated into win-at-all-costs totalism.  Let the cost of repression be paid in hostility earnt by the police - let it not be without cost!

There seems to have been some self-defence from protesters, with BBC reporting "missiles" thrown at police and two arrests for "assault" (probably self-defence).  But the BBC footage shows pushing and shoving - along with cops whining about not being told about events in advance, and with at least one police attack on a protester highlighted.  There have also been continuing non-violent direct actions of the kind which have been happening all week, such as a lock-on at the BAA depot.

Pictures of police violence on BAA march:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379028.html

Photos from BAA cargo blockade:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379093.html

BBC coverage (watch for dodgy rhetoric, but also images of police attacking a protester):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm

Interviews with climate campers:

http://climatecamp.org.uk/videos.php

-----------------------------------------------------------

http://climatecamp.org.uk/

Mass action: on Sunday August 19 we will symbolically mark out the path of the proposed third runway. Then at 3pm we will converge on BAA headquarters and blockade BAA for as long as possible. Come join us!

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379028.html

Late afternoon march to BAA - Cops go crazy 
snapper | 19.08.2007 20:28 | Climate Camp 2007 | Climate Chaos | Repression | London 

When the group left from the rear of the camp, at first mounted police tried to ride into people but soon backed off and allowed them to stream across the field. As the people approched the opposite side of the field there were many vans of riot police arriving in adjacent streets and deploying to meet the protestors. There were even van loads of police getting changed into their riot gear on the M4 motorway before scrambling up the bank. As protestors moved along the fence or tried to climb out of the field the police attacked them with batons and shields. I saw several hit, punched, repeatedly thrown to the ground, pushed into ditches, and sworn at. Over the next 15 minutes more and more riot police kept arriving (something like 100), many running into the field following mounted police that had galloped into a gap in the fence. Police prevented media from entering the field and a high hedge prevented them filming the scenes in the field. 

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379088.html

We left camp in a southeasterly direction and we soon encountered police on horseback and foot. As the people at the front of the group neared the road they were confronted by a number of police on horseback, in addition to at least 20 police vans lining up all down the road. A number of us turned to the left still in the field and attempted to get to BAA headquarters through the bushes at the south of the field. At this stage it turned a bit ugly and a handful of people were beaten by the police with their batons and turned back. I spoke to one man who was in pain from receiving a blow across his forearm. 

We carried on through the southern half of the field and people continuously made attempts to cross police lines, some of which were successful and some resulted in more fighting. We reached a fence and someone attempted to climb it, as he was repulsed by the police there was a feeling in the crowd that if we all rushed together then we would get through. However, with the great majority of the protesters being peaceful and non-confrontational, this didn't occur and we carried on through the field and reached a small park next to a housing estate where again there were attempts to get through and some agressive tactics by the police to stop us. 

At this stage they managed to circle us and it became obvious we would be kettled. A small group of locals were in the park with their dogs and were obviously watching the confrontation. The riot police shouted at them to move back and when they did not do so, one of the policeman grabbed one of the dog's lead and suspended the animal in the air as if to hang it. He soon let it go to shouts of 'shame' from the crowd and the locals retreated from the scene. By this time we were surrounded by about 100 riot police who had completely encircled us. 

The protesters mainly sat down and talked within their groups about tactics and what they might expect next. We were kept there for around 45 minutes, and were entertained by the samba percussionists amongst us. Eventually, the police told us they were going to escort us back to the camp to head of any chance of a 'public order' offence. We were herded back across the fields by the 100 or so riot police who now seemed to be in a good mood, no doubt looking forward to a cup of tea before their next encounter. 

dave t 

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/378854.html

Day 6: Climate Camp's Day of Action 
imc uk | 19.08.2007 13:27 | Climate Camp 2007 | Climate Chaos | London 

Midday Sunday saw the start of Climate Camp's 24 hours of mass action.

10.45pm The seven-strong support team from the World Cargo depot blockade have been made to leave and are on their way back to site. Those locked on have been arrested but it's not clear at this time if they have yet been removed.
9.10pm The BA World Cargo terminal shed is being blockaded by 8 people in lock on tubes forming a circle [press release|photos]. They have seven people present in support. Meanwhile Bicycology have delivered food to the 250+ people sheltering under tarps outside BAA. There is music and a party atmosphere despite the rain [later reports|audio].
8.15pm Bicycology has just left the camp with trailers full of food, cake and treats for those planning on camping at BAA tonight. Around 80 people are currently at the BAA offices planning to stay overnight.
8.00pm The police cordons around both groups of protesters at BAA HQ have now dispersed. Some people are now returning to camp whilst others are trying to join the larger block to camp overnight.
7.30pm About one hour ago people dropped a banner reading 'Plane Suicide' on Colnbrook Bypass motorway bridge over the M25. The banner overlooks the traffic going northbound, some of which will exit off towards the aiport.
7.20pm The smaller group penned in at BAA is negotiating to be moved with the bigger group on the other side of the building. People are preparing to stay for the night at BAA - cooking equipment is being sorted and a cooking rota is being organised.
6.20pm Kids blockade arrives at BAA with bicycle soundsystem and placed in kettle. Meanwhile some some people are returning in dribs and drabs to camp. People are free to come and go as usual via the Sipson Lane gate. All others are blocked. Legal team are confirming 5 arrests so far and more reports of injuries are coming in.
5.00pm Riot police are blocking the footpath exit, southeast of the camp. They are not letting people out but they are letting people in. A line of people has been formed in front of them with their hands up on the air.
4.00pm A man superglued himself to a security vehicle at the Heathrow business academy. He was unstuck and arrested. Meanwhile the majority of the kids block are heading towards the BAA offices along the A4 with others returning to the camp. The atmosphere is good, the march looks really colorful and people are singing.
3.30pm Around 250 people are being confined by police behind the BAA offices. The building itself is now protected by a ring of police. Small groups of people keep coming to the area of BAA building. In the BAA carpark another small group are "praying" with the BAA monks! Another 200-300 people from the Kids block are headed towards the BAA offices.
3.15pm Around 100 protesters have reached BAA and are holding a banner reading 'Social Change Not Lifestyle Change'. Lots of mainstream media are present.
3.00pm 200-300 people left the camp from the south side and fanned out into smaller groups. TSG, police in riot gear and mounted police are there. One protester has reportedly been injured by a police horse. Police have broken down a fence to enable mounted police to enter and are being aggressive. 100 people were penned in but have since returned to the camp, others made it further towards BAA.
1.00pm 3 teenage girls are on the roof of the Heathrow Business Academy, very close to BAA headquaters. They have unrolled a banner that reads Make Planes History
12.00 noon At least three large groups of several hundred people each have marched out of the camp from both exits towards the various targets of their actions. Children, parents and supporters are on one family-friendly march, one group is marking out the proposed third runway, while another has left from the south end of the camp and fanned out into smaller groups to foil police efforts to keep them in.

Also on the newswire: Video 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | Reports: 1 | Press Releases: Press release from Climate Camp Media: Police attack protesters | Activists Deny Smear by General Manager of Carmel Agrexco

For up-to-the-minute climate camp reports and breaking news, check the Indymedia UK News Ticker. You can also get it as SMS alerts or listen to it by phoning the Blasted Campers info line on 0207 043 3783.

Daily round-ups are on the UK Indymedia Climate Camp page. 

Links: Camp For Climate Action website | workshops | bust card | directions 1, 2

http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.aspx?as=adimarticle&f=uk_-_olgbtopnews&t=4023&id=6187225&d=20070820&do=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk&i=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/mediaexportlive&ks=0&mc=5&ml=ma&lc=en&ae=windows-1252

19/8/2007 6:06:15 PM 
( Source: Reuters) 

Police, protesters scuffle at Heathrow 

By Simon Rabinovitch

LONDON (Reuters) - Police with batons skirmished with groups of climate change protesters on Sunday near the headquarters of the operator of Heathrow airport.

The scuffles in a field close to airport operator BAA's building came after largely peaceful marches from a camp where campaigners, who want to draw attention to the impact of aviation on global warming, have been massing all week.

BAA said the airport was operating normally and there was no disruption to passengers.

About 200 marchers made it to the BAA car park where there was a strong police presence. Some protesters pitched tents and were planning to stay overnight. Police chased another group into fields, hitting some with truncheons, before ringing them.

Police said they had made four arrests, one for assaulting a police officer, taking the total number of campaigners detained over the course of the week to 49.

The protesters want Heathrow's expansion plans dropped and the growth of air travel halted. The protest comes at the height of the holiday season at the world's busiest international airport that handles nearly 70 million passengers a year.

Paul Morozzo, a campaigner at the BAA headquarters, said the 24 hour "direct action" would continue through Monday.

"There are lots of different plans. Some are planning to stay here, others want to do other things," he said.

HIGH ALTITUDE

Scientists say air transport contributes to global warming, and the carbon dioxide gas and water vapour emitted by aircraft are four times more potent at high altitude than at sea level.

The government says it is committed to tackling climate change and plans to set legally binding targets for cutting CO2 emissions -- but it also backs an expansion of air travel, which is set to double in the next 25 years.

Earlier, marchers with carnival-style floats and speakers adorned with flowers blaring music left the camp with a banner saying: "We are armed ... only with peer-reviewed science".

The climate change activists have been camped out for a week near Heathrow, west of London. Organisers estimated there were 1,000-1,200 protesters taking part in the protests.

"We believe in unlawful protest when it is peaceful and justified," one of the organisers, Leila Harris, told reporters.

Over the past week protesters broke into an Israeli-owned food import warehouse near Heathrow, and super-glued their hands to doors at the Department for Transport in London.

Heathrow's operator, Spanish-owned BAA, expressed concern that chaos could ensue, but police said they planned to use up to 1,800 officers and were confident they could keep control.

The campaigners insisted that their quarrel was with the aviation industry, not with passengers. They said they would not do anything to endanger passengers, such as blocking runways.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6953518.stm

      Last Updated: Sunday, 19 August 2007, 23:06 GMT 00:06 UK 

            E-mail this to a friend 
           Printable version 

      Minor scuffles in airport protest 

            Protesters and police came face-to-face during the day of action

      Climate change campaigners have been involved in minor scuffles with police as they targeted the offices of Heathrow Airport operator BAA. 

      The BAA protest forms part of 24 hours of "direct action" by the Camp for Climate Action near the airport. 

      Eight protesters were later arrested after blockading British Airways' world cargo centre on Sunday night. 

      The demonstrators were lying on the ground in a circle with their arms encased in steel tubing. 

      The group stopped vehicles getting into the Eastern Perimeter Road depot in a protest they claimed was highlighting how transporting food by air is contributing to climate change. 

      Organisers say 1,400 people have been taking part in the day of action, while police at the scene put the number at about 1,000. 

      Map of proposed Heathrow expansion and climate camp 

      The BBC's Megan Lane, at the BAA offices near the west London airport, said there was a stand-off between the two sides as dusk fell on Sunday evening. 

      About 100 protesters were sitting down at the entrance to the headquarters' car park, in the hope of blocking BAA staff from coming into work. 

      A further 100 or so protesters were supporting those sitting down in the entrance, in Bath Road. 

           There are certainly times when unlawful action is required in order to force changes that aren't happening fast enough 

            Alex Harvey
            Campaigner

            Colourful scenes at protest 

      Police said if protesters blocked a public highway, they risked being arrested. Officers moved about 10 protesters, before allowing those clearly inside the grounds to stay. 

      Earlier, 50 protesters were contained in nearby Mondial Way, following confrontations between police and protesters in which missiles were thrown at officers. 

      Six people were arrested during the day - two for assault on a police officer, one for carrying Class A drugs, one for criminal damage, one for going equipped to cause criminal damage, and one for failing to give a name and address after anti-social behaviour. 

      'Pushing and shoving' 

      Alex Harvey, one of the campaigners at the camp, said the "siege" at BAA would last until Monday morning. 

      She said it would remain peaceful, but she could not guarantee it would be lawful. 

           There's been some pushing and shoving but we've managed them safely, and they've been allowed to make their protest, but in a safe way 

            Commander Jo Kaye, Metropolitan Police

      "There are certainly times when unlawful action is required in order to force changes that aren't happening fast enough," she said. 

      Police said there had been some "pushing and shoving" between the two sides as protesters approached the BAA site. 

      Commander Jo Kaye of the Metropolitan Police said: "We've policed a number of marches and actions. The number of officers and the types of tactics used has varied based on the situation with which we have been faced. 

      "I have stated right from the start that what we want to do is facilitate lawful protest, that is our duty and something we are committed to doing. 

      "We have had a very limited dialogue with the organisers and I would call for more - especially as they are continuing with their phase of mass action." 

      BAA has said it will not be commenting on the day of action. 

      Protesters have been at the camp - situated between the M4 motorway and the airport's northern perimeter in west London - for a week. 

      Activities have included talks and workshops and some sporadic direct action, such as protesters locking themselves to the gates of a nearby Israeli firm which flies produce to the UK. 

            Protesters staged a sit-in at BAA's offices

      On Sunday, protesters left the camp in separate groups at midday to begin their march to the BAA site. 

      Some protesters and members of the local community symbolically walked the 3km (1.8 mile) route of Heathrow's proposed third runway. 

      Banners carried slogans such as "You Fly, They Die", "Climate Change Kills" and "No Third Runway: Sipson Village RIP". 

      Three teenage protesters scaled a fence near BAA, and unfurled a banner saying "Make Planes History". 

      Protester Layla Harris said: "We have had enough of the prioritisation of economic growth over the future of our planet. 

      "We are part of a growing global movement of ordinary people that will stop climate change." 

      A fifth terminal will open at Heathrow in March 2008 and a new runway has been proposed by the government for about 2020. 

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379099.html

Press Release - Climate activists blockade Heathrow freight depot 
fruity | 20.08.2007 01:24 | Climate Camp 2007 | Climate Chaos | Globalisation | London 

19th August 2007, 21:30 

At 21:00, eight protesters from the Camp for Climate Action have blockaded British Airways' World Cargo Depot at Hatton Cross, outside Heathrow Airport. 

The protesters blockaded vehicle access by locking themselves together in a ring with 'arm tubes'. 

British Airways handle air freighted foodstuffs, which are a rapidly growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Air freighting of food to UK grew by 140% between 1992 and 2002. Air freighted food amounts to 14% of total food-related CO2 emissions. 

The protesters claim that importing fruit and vegetables from developing countries encourages unsustainable farming practices, uses scarce water resources and keeps farmers locked into a cycle of poverty, competing for ever lower prices. 

Anna Kay, one of the blockaders said, "We in the UK need to move to eating locally produced and organic food instead of supporting this energy intensive and environmentally destructive industry". 

The blockade was organised by an independent group of activists who have been taking part in the Camp for Climate Action. 
ENDS 

Notes to editor: 

Arm Tubes are lengths of tube into which two protesters put their arms and lock themselves together. 

Blockaders on location can be contacted on 07798 745613. 

Camp Press Group can be contacted on 0777 286 1099 or 07858 177178 

fruity 

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