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Power station protesters fight on after police raid camp
Ellen Widdup, Evening Standard04.08.08
Environmental activists have vowed to continue fighting proposals for a power station in Kent after police raided their protest camp.
The group, which has organised a week-long event to highlight sustainable energy, said 200 officers stormed the compound and seized hundreds of items they said could be used to break the law.
Campaigners said the raid was an attempt to stop the climate camp going ahead and promised to persevere.
One group of five who have been banned from attending after they were arrested at an earlier demonstration will risk a jail sentence today by flouting bail conditions to join their friends.
Ellen Potts, Oli Rodker, Johnathan Stevensen, Paul Morozzo and Mel Evans said they were so outraged at the plans for the coal-fired power station in Kingsnorth and the action of the police to quash protests that they would highlight it by becoming the first climate change activists in the UK to go to jail.
Miss Potts said: "We don't believe its a crime to meet with others to try to find solutions to the gravest threat that humanity has faced in recent times." Green MEP Caroline Lucas, who is attending the camp, said police had disrupted a "legitimate" protest and confiscated items including disabled access ramps, board games and fire safety equipment.
But Kent's assistant chief constable, Gary Beautridge, said his officers had found bolt cutters, superglue and climbingropes. "Equipment we seized suggests some protesters were clearly intent on unlawful action," he said.
Last year's climate camp event was held at Heathrow and accompanied by other protests where activists chained themselves to the Department for Transport in London and hijacked a wing of a jumbo jet at a factory in north Wales.
Reader views (4)
If all they want is to give a space to allow middle aged activists to deliver propaganda to the young and impressionable then it could be done anywhere. They're only in Kent to use force to stop the building of a fantastic resource. If the organisation of society had been left to these people we'd not be worrying about climate change - the disease, infant mortality, starvation and general total incapacity to deal with the inhospitality of the natural world would see to that.
Thank heavens for the engineers and big companies. If the greens and their little pals every get the chance to take over then people really will have some problems.
The Police have been far too soft. Every one at that camp should be given a straight year in a tough jail, to be repeated until they get the message. We do not want our society smashing.
- Jack Tomas, Peterborough, Great Britain
What a shame that this peaceful and thoughtful protest has not been allowed to go ahead without the provocative interventions of an over-zealous Kent constabulary. If it is anything like last years' event, this climate camp will be full of scientists and experts holding workshops to a crowd of inquisitive minds, young and old. Hardly a rabble of anarchists, rather more like a welcome gathering of socially responsible individuals looking for solutions to a situation that will effect all of us.
The heavy handed treatment they have received so far (raids at 5,30am!) simply cannot be warranted. How on earth can they justify removing wheelchair ramps and taking away camping gear? I wonder how many individual officers will lay awake tonight wondering of their loyalties really should lie with corporate giant EoN rather than with people concerned for the future of the planet and future generations?
- Gwen Tennyson, London, UK
When the Police defend those who are destroying our kids future we are all in deep trouble. When the people find themselves hemmed in by legislation whose sole aim is to crush peoples right to protest and when our legitimate voice is gagged we all know what happens next... constant, unremmitting civil disobedience. NuLabour is destroying our rights of protest and allowing Police to exercise powers intended to stop terrorist outrages against green activists - this slippery slope will end in many tears for NuLabour and BAA and all the other polluters,
- Christian Ball, London, UK
Somewhat predictably the police perform true to their stereotype as boot boys for the government and corporate agenda-holders.
There is nothing wrong with meeting to promote interest in energy\climate concerns in these troubled times.
There is something wrong with a police force that acts so leniently on youths caught with knives and so harshly on individuals, for the most part, promoting a peaceful agenda.
Ben
- Ben Robinson, Brighton, UK
