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Video shows eco-warriors how to storm power plant
Nigel Rosser01.08.08
Environment campaigners planning a mass protest at a power station in Kent have circulated a video showing how to pull down its new protective fence.
Thousands of people are expected at a "climate change camp" at the Kingsnorth plant from Monday. Hundreds of police are expected to be called in to maintain order.
Organisers of the demonstration have circulated an "inspirational" video via YouTube showing scenes of mobs pulling down security fences and cutting through wire barriers, as well as views of the power station from the river Medway.
They have said they intend to use rafts to get inside the plant and "shut down the climate criminal", and will employ "green guerrillas" to look for "weak points" in the fence. They may even attempt to fly across the perimeter.
The video ends with the statement: "We will shut it down."
Kingsnorth is the intended site for what would be the first coal-fired facility in Britain in 30 years, and the first of a tranche of new generators, making it the focus of anger for climate activists.
It is also regarded as a particularly "dirty" power station - its four generators will create too much pollution to meet emissions standards coming into force in 2015.
The camp will last until Monday 11 August, with activists declaring Saturday 9 August a "day of mass protest and direct action".
The video, prepared by members of Climate Camp, shows people at other protests around the world cutting their way through fencing, using iron bars to break links and swamping barriers through sheer weight of numbers.
There are also scenes of police confronting demonstrators.
The video has been circulated to scores of activists known to be heading for the plant this summer.
The perimeter fence at Kingsnorth was put in place last week and the power station's owner, E.On UK, was granted an injunction banning protesters from breaching it and entering the site.
A senior police source described the video as "like a training manual". The source said: " It clearly shows protesters intend trying to break into the power station, which is dangerous and has severe security implications."
Some organisers have claimed the protest will be more "confrontational" than last year's climate change camp at Heathrow, which led to 58 arrests and an estimated £7 million bill for policing.
A spokesman for E.On UK said: "We don't have a problem with the climate campers. What we will not tolerate are people endangering our team, the police and themselves, and breaking the law on what is effectively a publicity stunt." Caroline Charlier, spokeswoman for Climate Camp, denied the footage of protesters pulling down fences was a training video.
She said: "It is a metaphorical, inspiring video about taking fences down and about shutting the station down. It is not going to be more confrontational."
Reader views (2)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Is this the same newspaper that has had its wrist slapped by the Press Complaints Commission over fabricating stories about last years climate camp? Will it never learn?
- D D Winner, UK
They couldn't care less about the environment, but hey, it's a great excuse to have fun damaging the property of others and causing trouble. I trust that Plod has plenty of rubber bullets and Taser guns in stock to deal with these mostly jobless, soap-dodging scum.
- The Gene Genie, Croydon
