Professional Documents
Culture Documents
February 2008
Action Update
A quarterly round-up of ecological and other direct action from around Britain and beyond
www.earthfirst.org.uk
News in brief Day of climate fices along the route of the London Cli
mate March. The activists put signs on
the doors reading 'Closed for a rethink'.
action www.planestupid.com
Bath squatters
Early December saw protests around the
A team of artists and entertainers
world and in the UK to coincide with the
'The tide is rising'
collectively known as the Letimov 7th December, Manchester. A banner with
2007 United Nations Climate Change
Steam Circus have been occupying the warning 'The tide is rising' was
Conference taking place in Bali.
large sheds at the old Stothert and dropped to greet all those entering the
Pitt crane works in Bath for the last Women's blockade of city of Manchester on the Princess park
two months. Proceedings to evict way.
them from the site have started. Department of Transport
Email: charlesdancey@gmail.com Manchester Flight Centres shut
On the same day all Flight Centre
Squatters needed! branches in Manchester city centre were
A new Social Centre in Wiltshire re superglued shut in time for Saturday
quires volunteers. Accommodation is trading and to coincide with the climate
of course free. Help is wanted with march in London. They were pasted with
decorating, celebrating, gardening, notices saying: 'Closed we want your
having a film night, foraging and kids to have a planet' The UK's only
cooking! Email: yarrow@mail.com Hummer dealership, Bauer Millett, was
also Dlocked shut.
Flights cancelled On Friday 7th December a group of wo
th
Manchester 18 December saw men blockaded the Department for Billboards subvertised
FlyBe subvertised with 'Cancelled' Transport preventing staff from getting On 8th December in Manchester three
written across their adverts for their to work. The action came in response to airline billboards advertising cheap
shorthaul summer routes. the Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly con flights to European cities were subverted
firming the government's intentions to with the words 'Stop worrying about cli
Climate action in Dover build a third runway and a sixth termin mate change. Be happy with a free guilt
In the early hours of 4th November al at Heathrow and coincided with the remover.'
climate activists dropped a banner opening of their first 'consultation'. The
from a fourstorey building, declar
ing 'The earth is too hot!' The ban
climate activists accused the Department
of Transport of pushing policies which Rooftop protest
ner was clearly visible from the main are catapulting us towards dangerous th
15 December saw the recently formed
throughway from the M20 to the runaway climate change. Kernow and Plymouth Rising Tide
busiest port in Britain. www.climatecamp.org.uk groups get together for a rooftop protest
Shortly afterwards two road warn
at Newquay airport. The protest put a
ing signs were put up on a round Climate march spotlight on the airport's focus on cli
about informing drivers of 'Climate On Saturday 8th December 10,000 cli matewrecking shorthaul flights. Five
chaos ahead'. mate campaigners braved the pouring activists occupied the roof and displayed
rain to take part in marches in London big banners reading: 'No public debate,
Singing Santas and Glasgow. This was one of the biggest no public demand', 'All private gain' and
On 15th December, one of the busiest demonstrations calling for climate 'No more hot air on climate change.'
shopping days of the year, activists justice the UK has ever seen. The roof top activists were supported
in both Norwich and London
with music, dancing and puppetry from
dressed up as 'Santas against excess Biofuels protest the ground.
ive consumption'. The Santas en Also on 8th December a protest was held www.risingtide.org.uk
lightened shoppers with carols high at a London Tesco's against their invest
lighting the fact that binge con ments into biofuels. 3 protesters were
sumption at Christmas time is dir
ectly linked to climate chaos.
manhandled by police in central London, Die-in Tate Britain
who forced them into into a metal
info@risingtide.org.uk protest pen. Despite this a peaceful Activists from London Rising Tide staged
protest was held for an hour including a a' diein' in the BP sponsored Tate Britain
Penguins reclaim ice rink stop by 300 cyclists and one minute's si on 4th January.
On 2nd January 30 penguins re lence for those who are suffering or who They demanded that the Tate cuts its ties
claimed the ice rink at the Natural have died as the result of massive expan with BP: 'An art gallery is no place for an
History Museum in protest at British sion of large scale biofuel plantations environmental hazard such as an oil
Airways sponsorship of the mu across the South. company. B. are here to greenwash their
seum's winter festivities. Carrying Tesco describe themselves as the UK image and distract from the ecological
banners and placards reading, 'BA market leader in biofuels. devastation they're causing around the
Fly, Penguins Die', and 'Freeze www.tescocorporate.com/bio world'.
Flights' the penguins went skating fuels.htm The protestors handed out leaflets and
and handed out leaflets for around www.biofuelwatch.org urged patrons to demand the end of Oil
20 minutes before being forcibly re Companies sponsorship of Art Galleries.
moved from the ice by security staff. Plane Stupid www.risingtide.org.uk
www.planestupid.com 8th December saw Plane Stupid activists
shut down travel agents and airline of
Mr. Pole R. Bear Oxford tree protests News in Brief
visits the BBC The beginning of 2008 saw more resist
ance to the ongoing gentrification of Ox Happy bunnies
Bristol saw a series of actions against the ford. The protests focussed on Bonn
6th January. 129 rabbits liberated
BBC, organisers of the Wildlife Photo Square and the Westgate Shopping
from a lab breeder in Lincolnshire.
grapher of the Year Award and the Bris Centre where around 40 trees are
The breeder supply HLS, as well as
tol Museum, in protest at the sponsor marked for destruction.
several UK universities with animals
ship of the event by Shell. On 4th January a 100 year old tree was
for experiments.
On 11th December two members of “Arc occupied by a protester to prevent it be
tic Associates” and one grumpy refugee ing felled. When he left the tree 10 days Monumental victory
polar bear paid a visit to the BBC Wild later, after running out of water and sup
On 6th December plans for a 2.1km
life Magazine in Bristol. More than a plies, he was arrested for aggravated
bored tunnel taking traffic from
hundred employees looked on aghast as trespass. More arrests ensued on the
Stonehenge were scrapped. The an
the protesters accused Shell of endan same day when protesters attempted to
nouncement made in a Parliament
gering thousands of species through oil stop the tree from being felled.
ary statement concluded the £540m
spills, toxic pollution, and climate chaos. 9th January saw an impromptu day of ac
for the proposed tunnel scheme
Later on activists disrupted Bristol Mu tion when protesters resisted the remov
could not be justified.
seum's reception to kick off the exhibi al of mature trees at the back of a shop
www.savestonehenge.org.uk
tion with a 'Yes Men'style intervention. ping centre. The protest led to the arrest
On the opening morning, dozens of hu of Councillor Glass Woodin and also saw School-dodger glued to bed
mans, polar bears, a snow leopard and a one of the trees being occupied for over 8th January, Mexico. A tenyearold
tiger handed out leaflets in front of the 24 hours. lad who didn't much fancy the re
museum backed up by the 'Shell's Wild 12th January saw at least 100 people re turn to school after the Xmas holi
Lie' counterexhibition. claiming Bonn Square. Many took spon days simply attached himself to his
www.risingtide.org.uk/bristol taneous direct action against the fen bed with industrial strength shoe
cingoff of the square. glue, and carried on watching car
Action Update c/o The Basement, 78a Penny St, Lancaster LA1 1XN