[Onthebarricades] Global ecological-related protests and actions

[Andy]

*  AUSTRALIA:  Four protesters scale power station

*  UK:  British police waste £5m at Faslane, £7m at Heathrow

*  TRINIDAD:  Residents protest against power station plan

*  AUSTRALIA:  Farmers protest pipeline impact on irrigation

*  AUSTRALIA:  Protesters arrested at port in coal protest

*  SPAIN/GLOBAL:  Nomads, herders stage global protest for way of life

*  BULGARIA:  Environmentalists rally against conservation rollback

*  US:  Protests for Neah Bay rescue tug

*  IRELAND:  Shell to Sea protests continue in Mayo

*  CANADA/INDIGENOUS:  Six Nations protest continues at Grand River; builder 
injured

*  INDIA:  Greenpeace protest GM trials

*  IRELAND:  Hill of Tara anti-roads protesters target parliament

*  BAHRAIN:  Protests may shut factory over noise, privacy concerns

*  WEST PAPUA:  Biak people protest Russian satellite plan, non-consultation

*  INDIA:  Police clash with protesters after bus accident due to 
commercialisation


http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/03/2022283.htm

Four arrested at Loy Yang protest
Posted Mon Sep 3, 2007 12:00pm AEST
Updated Mon Sep 3, 2007 12:06pm AEST

Four people have been arrested over the protest at Loy Yang (ABC)
Four people have been arrested over a climate change protest at a Gippsland 
power station.
Police Search and Rescue crews used angle grinders to cut free the woman and 
three men who had chained themselves to conveyor belts at the Loy Yang power 
station near Traralgon.
They broke into the site about 5:00AM and spent five hours locked to the 
equipment in cold rainy conditions before being taken away by police.
The protestors want political leaders at today's APEC forum in Sydney to 
take notice of their actions.
Loy Yang Power says the protest cut power generation by a quarter, but the 
unit is now back up and running.
The company will consider increasing security at the site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6974919.stm

Last Updated: Sunday, 2 September 2007, 11:55 GMT 12:55 UK
Faslane protest costs police £5m

Former MSP Carolyn Leckie is among those to have been arrested
The cost of policing anti-nuclear protests at the Faslane naval base on the 
Clyde has reached £5m, new figures have shown.
A campaign to stage daily protests at the base began last October.
Statistics compiled ahead of a meeting of the Strathclyde Joint Police Board 
showed up to 150 officers had been on duty at the base at any one time.
The daily blockade of the base, organised by the Faslane 365 group, is due 
to finish at the end of this month.
The figures show that policing costs reached a peak of £1.7m in October.
The number of officers needed at the site has varied from an average of 
about 150 in October to lows of between 20 and 90 since March.
Much of the money has been spent on overtime payments to officers.
More than 110 groups from around the world have taken part in the protests, 
leading to more than 900 arrests.
The campaign has included sit-down protests and people chaining themselves 
to fences in a bid to cause disruption to work at the base.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6982705.stm

Heathrow protest police cost £7m
More than £7m was spent on policing during the climate change protest at 
Heathrow Airport, Scotland Yard says.
Up to 1,800 police officers were on duty on busy days during the eight-day 
Camp for Climate Action last month.
Some 70 people were arrested as protesters demonstrated against the 
airport's expansion, the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) was told.
Commander Bob Broadhurst said £4.3m would have been spent anyway, as it 
included bills such as salaries.
The protest culminated with a blockade by hundreds of anti-aviation 
campaigners of the offices of airport operator BAA on 19 August.
The final day of action was marked by a series of demonstrations at 
businesses across the UK.
Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk, the headquarters of BP in 
London and two carbon offsetting companies were singled out.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161197834

Residents slam EMA at Couva protest
Peter Christopher South Bureau

Monday, September 3rd 2007

'NO STEEL PLANT': Residents of Pranz Gardens sport T-shirts in protest 
against the construction of a steel mill in their community on Saturday.

Residents of Pranz Gardens, Couva, on Saturday held what they described as a 
day of solidarity with residents of Chatham, Bagatelle and other areas said 
to be affected by industrial construction.
Resident Sahadeo Puran slammed the Environmental Management Authority, 
which, he said, claimed that residents had missed their opportunity to block 
the planned construction of the Essar steel mill at Couva.
"The EMA never came here to do consultation with residents," he said, adding 
that the Authority appeared to not be doing its job as he pointed that 
nearby, another energy sector company was cutting down mangroves in 
preparation to build a port at Pt Lisas.
Another resident, Samlal Annan, said that the residents' protest was not 
politically motivated, but he questioned the Government's Vision 2020 plan.
"First world status is to raise us to a higher level, but they killing us 
with dust. They are going to kill us with pollution. Is that really 
development?" asked Annan.
He also questioned the EMA's approval of the planned construction of the 
steel mill.
"God knows who the EMA came and saw down here," said Annan.
The day of solidarity, which was held at the community's recreational 
ground, included presentations by a number of activists from that community.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2023447.htm

Irrigators' group claims responsibility for pipeline protest
Posted Tue Sep 4, 2007 11:13am AEST
An irrigators' group says it was responsible for barricading the Premier 
inside a water pumping station in Victoria's north last week.
John Brumby was prevented from leaving the facility at Colbinabbin by a 
group of farmers from the Plug the Pipe group, angry about a planned 
pipeline from the Goulburn Valley to Melbourne.
Mr Brumby said the protest was organised by the Liberal and National 
parties, but the group's Andrew Leahy say that is untrue.
"Just local grassroots people fighting against the pipeline," he said.
Mr Leahy says the Premier might be confused because both political parties 
support his group's opposition to the pipeline.
He is refusing to say who told him of the Premier's trip.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2023233.htm?section=justin

APEC protesters arrested at coal port
Posted Tue Sep 4, 2007 9:11am AEST
Updated Tue Sep 4, 2007 11:04am AEST
Map: Newcastle 2300
Eleven people have been arrested in the Port of Newcastle, in the New South 
Wales Hunter region, after climate change protesters tried to disrupt coal 
loading operations this morning.
The 11 protesters were part of a group of 20 young people staging a 
demonstration at the Carrington loading terminal at the world's biggest coal 
export port.
Police say the group scaled a four-metre-high perimeter fence earlier this 
morning and five locked themselves onto coal reclaimers, used in ship 
loading operations.
Port officials were forced to shut down the machinery and stop coal train 
movements for safety reasons.
Police moved in and arrested the 11 protesters, who will be charged with 
trespassing.
Police Inspector Damien Cox said the protesters placed themselves in real 
danger by locking themselves onto machinery.
"Certainly, we expect people's right to protest but our major concern is 
obviously the issue of danger to those people and also to other people who 
have to go and take them away from this location," he said.
The group said it was trying to raise awareness of climate change ahead of 
the APEC summit leaders' meeting, which runs from Friday to Sunday in 
Sydney.
One of the protesters, Nicky Ison, earlier said the group had hung a banner 
that read 'APEC fuelling climate chaos'.
Coal loading operations in Newcastle have returned to normal after two hours 
of disruptions.
Yesterday, climate change protesters disrupted electricity generation in 
Victoria when four chained themselves to equipment at a power station in 
Gippsland's Latrobe Valley.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/10/wspain110.xml

Herdsmen flock to Madrid sheep protest

By Fiona Govan in Madrid
Last Updated: 1:54am BST 10/09/2007

The streets of downtown Madrid have been transformed as nomads from the 
across the globe gathered to lead a procession of sheep in a symbolic show 
of their right to roam.
Herdsmen from as far away as the Masai plains of Kenya and the steppes of 
Mongolia joined Spanish shepherds on their annual march through the city's 
boulevards to exercise their right to continue their traditional way of 
life.
Spanish herders drive their stock through the capital to highlight the 
existence of an ancient route used for the movement of livestock between the 
summer grazing pastures to warmer wintering regions.
"We refuse to allow the encroachment of the modern world to threaten our 
existence," said Fernando Garcia Dory, one of the organisers, who explained 
that thousands of routes across Spain were being destroyed by housing 
developments, roads and railways.
The event marked the launch of the World Gathering of Nomads and 
Transhumance Herders which brings delegates from 32 nations together to 
discuss the wider issues facing the 250 million nomads whose livelihoods 
depend on moving their herds between pastures.
"It is a wonderful opportunity to come together in a show of solidarity," 
said Mohamed Ewangaye, 40, a Saharan Touareg, as he led three camels through 
Plaza Puerta del Sol, Madrid's equivalent of Piccadilly Circus.
"We all share the same problems and are fighting for our way of life to be 
recognised and protected."

http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/09/baabecuestopper_herd_instinct.html

Baa-becuestopper: Herd instinct takes over in Madrid protest
Usually it's never-ending roadworks, impossibly narrow streets and thousands 
of other cars that make driving in Madrid a nightmare. On Sunday, it was 
sheep.
Shepherds from 32 countries joined Spanish farmers to herd hundreds of sheep 
and other farm animals through the city centre as part of an annual protest 
to protect traditional grazing routes.
Urban development has swallowed thousands of kilometres of ancient paths 
around Madrid, blocking the way of farmers who have used the paths to move 
their livestock from summer to winter pastures for centuries. Herders from 
as far away as Kenya, Mongolia, India, Argentina and Mali travelled to 
Madrid for the annual march to protest against the loss of their land and 
livelihood to modernisation.
The event marked the launch of the World Gathering of Nomads and 
Transhumance Herders, where participants will discuss the wider issues 
facing the 250 million nomads whose livelihoods depend on moving their herds 
between pastures. (Wikipedia defines transhumance as "vertical seasonal 
livestock movement, typically to higher pastures in summer and to lower 
valleys in winter".)

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/bulgarian-environmentalists-gathered-in-protest-against-natura-2000-territories-exclusion/id_24892/catid_67

BULGARIAN ENVIRONMENTALISTS PROTEST AGAINST NATURA 2000 TERRITORIES 
EXCLUSION
16:59 Thu 13 Sep 2007

Between 30 and 40 environmentalists gathered for a protest near the 
Environment and Water Affairs Ministry building in Sofia against the 
exclusion of 353 000 sq m of land from the environmental network Natura 
2000.

Environmentalists gathered on the occasion of the September 13 meeting of 
the national bio-diversity council which would examine the documentation for 
the 29 zones that were postponed in November 2006, Focus news agency 
reported.

Elena Tilova from Zeleni Balkani (Green Balkans) eco organisation said that 
environmentalists from Stara Zagora had arrived in Sofia specially for the 
protest.

Protesters said that excluding the territories from Natura 2000 would 
threaten the population of the brown bear, wolf, lynx and several other 
species.

According to the European directive for Natura 2000, 70 per cent of the 
brown bear population should be included in Natura 2000 but currently only 
54 per cent is, Tilova said.

The territories that were excluded from Natura 2000 cover part of the buffer 
zones of the national park Balkan and Rila, Sredni Rodopi and Sredna Gora.

Environmentalists said that many citizens that were not directly involved in 
non-governmental organisations joined the protest.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/121732.asp?from=blog_last3

Protest du Jour
Nearly all the local greenies will be out in front of the convention center 
today to drum up support for a permanent rescue tug to be stationed at Neah 
Bay. Legislation for this effort has come and gone for eight years now.
Environmentalists want the tug ready at the northwest tip of the state, near 
the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and, ultimately, Puget Sound, to 
respond quickly to vessels in distress and to help protect against a 
possible oil spill.
The Clean Pacific Conference, which has been meeting at the convention 
center since Wednesday, brings together government agencies and business 
interests in the maritime security, environmental and energy industries.
Thursday's protest is being billed as the "Show Us the Tug" street 
demonstration. And in accordance with Seattle tradition, the People for 
Puget Sound, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Audubon, the Washington SCUBA 
Alliance, et al., have booked appearances by the Mud Monster and Buster the 
Salmon, in addition to a blue whale, an oyster, an octopus, a crab, surfers, 
divers and birders.
Fun starts at 10:45 a.m. at Seventh and Pine downtown.
Posted by Candace Heckman Candace Heckman at September 13, 2007 9:14 a.m.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article2962123.ece

Arrests made at latest Shell to Sea protest in Co Mayo

Friday, September 14, 2007
Gardai in Co Mayo have arrested a number of people following a protest at 
the site of the gas refinery being built by Shell in Bellanaboy.
A large group of demonstrators gathered at the site this morning for the 
latest in a series of protests arranged by the Shell to Sea group.
They had intended to mount a sit-down blockade, but more than 50 people 
reportedly climbed over the gates of the refinery site in attempt to disrupt 
construction work.
Shell to Sea claims some protestors were injured in clashes with Gardai.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=05db89ae-0e9d-4c9c-80c0-34ad18a4a9db&k=46623

Man in hospital with serious head injuries; native protest continues
Mark Brennae , CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, September 14, 2007
A day after a construction worker was seriously injured in what his brother 
called an act of "native terrorism," members of the Six Nations maintained a 
second blockade along the Grand River in southwestern Ontario Friday, in 
protest of housing developments on land they say they own.
On Thursday 52-year-old_Sam Gualtieri, of Caledonia, was seriously injured 
after a confrontation with several other men.
The man was working in a housing development, where he was attacked by at 
least one or possibly more men, Ontario Provincial Police said.

A native protestor sits on the barricade that separates the disputed Douglas 
Creek Estates land claim site from a suburb of Caledonia on June 29th, 2007.
SIMON HAYTER/National Post
Const. Paula Wright said the protest began around 7:30 a.m., and the man 
was, who working inside one of the new homes, was found at about 4 p.m.
"It was an isolated incident," Wright said, although she would not rule out 
the possibility protesters were involved in the attack.
The man's brother, Joe, told CHCH-TV that more than three individuals 
attacked Gualtieri and that his nephew saw a native protester hitting him 
over the head with what may have been an oak railing.
"It was held with two hands when when the one nephew found (Gualtieri) 
unconscious, the individual had just finished striking him again,"_Joe 
Gualtieri told CHCH-TV. "Standing on top of him, almost crouched down, 
beating him over the head - when he was already unconscious."
Gualtieri said his brother falls in and out of consciousness and is 
incoherent and wants the assailant charged with attempted murder.
The OPP would not comment on details of the attack, other than to say the 
man was "in serious condition in hospital," and that no arrests had been 
made.
A spokeswoman for Six Nations, Jacqueline House, confirmed there was a 
scuffle between at least one protester and a man "upstairs," in one of the 
homes, but said she was not sure who had started it.
Wright said the protest was peaceful and a heavy police presence which 
included several OPP personnel and cruisers, was there to maintain order.
Protesters took the site briefly earlier this month but have returned, the 
television report said, because despite a meeting between the two sides, 
builders refused to follow "the natives' protocols," CHCH-TV reported.
The blockade is about 1.5 kilometres north of the Douglas Creek housing 
development site where members of the Six Nations have been protesting for a 
year and a half.
The natives claim they own the land along the Grand River. It was given to 
them by the British Crown in 1784 but the Canadian government says most of 
it was surrendered or sold back more than 150 years ago.
CanWest News Service/with files from CHCH-TV.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/19/stories/2007091955661500.htm

Greenpeace activists protest against genetically engineered brinjal trials
Special Correspondent
"Bio-safety data should be made public to enable an independent assessment"

- Photo: AFP

CALL FOR HALT: Greenpeace activists "force feed" volunteers with 
genetically-engineered eggplants during a protest outside the Krishi Bhawan 
in New Delhi.
NEW DELHI: Highlighting the imminent threat of genetically engineered (GE) 
crops on the food chain, Greenpeace on Monday protested against the Indian 
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for collaborating in field trials of 
brinjal.
"We are here to demand an immediate halt to all field trials till the 
bio-safety data generated so far is made public to enable [an] independent 
assessment. So far, safety studies on all GE crops are shrouded in secrecy 
that has really hindered the public from analysing the data and raising a 
debate on the issue. With emerging evidences of companies hiding critical 
bio-safety data that could prove the negative side-effects of GE crops on 
health, an independent assessment is indispensable," said Greenpeace 
campaigner Jai Krishna.
Largescale field trials
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recently approved 
largescale field trials of Bt Brinjal, belonging to Mahyco. The expert 
committee, which allowed these trials, recommended that they be done under 
the control of ICAR; absolute responsibility was vested with the Director of 
the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, an ICAR institute. The ICAR is 
represented on the GEAC.
Alleging contempt of the Supreme Court, the Greenpeace activists said the 
apex court stayed field trials of GE crops, but the GEAC had approved trials 
of brinjal.
"The GEAC move to legitimise these trials by requiring them to be conducted 
in institutional premises is most curious as this move does not forestall 
the possibility of transgenic contamination," said Aruna Rodrigues. Bt 
brinjal has never been allowed an independent assessment because the safety 
data has never been disclosed. The efforts of Greenpeace through the Right 
to Information Act have been unsuccessful as the authorities have not 
complied with the Central Information Commission's order, she said.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article2988082.ece

Tara campaigners stage musical protest outside Dail
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Campaigners gathered outside Dail Eireann earlier today to continue their 
protest against the development of the M3 motorway near the historic Hill Of 
Tara.
Over 20 harpists from TaraHarpers played their instruments on the streets 
outside the Government Buildings to demonstrate against the proposed route.
Hollywood star Stuart Townsend spoke out in support of the action
"All along we've always said, we understand that Meath residents don't want 
to sit in traffic any more than I do," he said.
"But obviously you need to balance that out with environmental and heritage 
protection"

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=194771&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30188

Protest may shut factory
By MOHAMMED AL A' ALI
A STEEL factory in Buhair could be closed, following years of protests from 
people living nearby.
Residents also want a nearby labour camp run by another company moved, 
saying it overlooks their homes and invades their privacy.
The Central Municipal Council wants to give the steel factory owner the 
opportunity to switch to an alternative business, less likely to disturb his 
neighbours.
They say they will grant a licence if he agrees to switch to a commercial 
business, such as warehousing, instead of an industrial factory.
Councillors say they will also work to relocate the nearby labour camp, to 
ease residents' discomfort.
Families have submitted several petitions to the council, demanding that the 
factory be closed and the neighbouring camp moved.
They say the factory is noisy and operates day and night. They also complain 
that the labourers in the camp are noisy and can see into their home, said 
council chairman and area councillor Abdulrahman Al Hassan said yesterday.
Random licensing is the main reason behind the problems those residents are 
facing."
"Whether they came first or the factory and labour camp doesn't matter 
because the area has residents and they are our top priority."
"We have nothing against the businessman and we don't want him out of 
business and this is why we are coming up with something that he and 
residents would be happy with," said Mr Al Hassan.
He said the labour camp near the steel factory was another problem.
"This camp overlooks houses and if people can't have privacy in their 
houses, then what can they do? " asked Mr Al Hassan.
"It would be now up to the council to decide the fate of the factory and 
camp, which we hope will be removed as soon as possible from the area, which 
is expected to see more houses in the future."
The council is expected to discuss the problem at its meeting tomorrow.
alaali at gdn.com.bh

www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20071005.H06&irec=5

Biak people protest Russian satellite plan
JAYAPURA, Papua: At least 300 members of the Biak Traditional Council (DAB) 
protested Thursday outside the Biak Numfor regency legislative council, 
demanding the government review its decision to permit the launch of a 
Russian satellite from the area in 2010.
"The agreement on the Russian satellite launch, which was signed in Jakarta 
last month, was unlawful because it failed to involve the Biak traditional 
community in the talks that led to the agreement," protest coordinator and 
DAB chairman Piter Yarangga said.
He said a DAB plenary meeting held earlier in the day recommended the 
central government review the agreement, which it said would have an impact 
on the local community's customary rights.-- JP

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-07-voa17.cfm

New Delhi Police Put Down Riot After Bus Kills 7
By VOA News
07 October 2007


Indian authorities say riot police in New Delhi fired tear gas Sunday to 
disperse an angry crowd after a bus crashed into a group of pedestrians, 
killing seven people.

Police detain, beat up a resident who was allegedly throwing brickbats at 
the police after an accident in New Delhi, 07 Oct 2007
Police said crowds of angry people blocked streets and beat up the driver of 
the Blue Line bus.
The privately operated Blue Line buses can often be seen speeding and 
breaking traffic laws to beat their competitors to pick up passengers. The 
buses have killed more than 85 people this year.
The Blue Line buses account for about half of the thousands of buses running 
in the Indian capital.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.