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Crisis in camp: activists split over barring police
Miranda Bryant and Terry Kirby28.08.09
Protesters have barred police from their Climate Camp site at Blackheath.
The activists, who say they take all decisions by consensus, have decided not to allow police to conduct what they term “community liaison” with the camp.
Before establishing the camp earlier this week, the activists refused to divulge its location to police and are now split over whether to allow officers onsite. Some are demanding that police take down the CCTV cameras on a cherry picker overlooking the camp.
Police have told Lewisham council officials they should be accompanied by officers if they visit the site. The camp is split into 10 geographical “neighbourhoods” such as “South Coast”, “Midlands”, and “Thames Valley”. The London neighbourhood is the biggest contingent. There are also different teams dealing with legal, medical, land and planning issues.
Neighbourhoods are split between those who think allowing police on to the camp would encourage better relations and those who are distrusting after violent police encounters, such as the G20 demonstrations in April.
Police said they would continue dialogue with Climate Camp.
According to sources, the running of the camp is thought to have cost £20,000, mainly found through fundraising and donations — £10 to £15 is suggested from campers. Mark Constantine, co-founder of soap firm Lush, has sent them Happy Hippy Shower Gel. It is also thought that activists who have won compensation claims against police after their wrongful arrest at earlier protests have donated money.
Group Activist Tat Collective have turned vegetable oil drums into cookers and use wheelie-bins for recycling and compost. Hay bales have been used to create “manure lavatories”.
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The key protesters
Mr Brown, a vegan, is a member of the Vestey family, which made about £750 million from wholesale of meat. He was educated at Radley College.
He was involved in anti-roads protests in the Nineties and last year forced Shell to abandon sponsorship of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year show.
He was a founder of London Rising Tide and has been active in Greenpeace as well as Friends
of the Earth.
She grew up in Herne Hill, and lives in Brick Lane. Ms Gregory, who also designs the stickers, posters and flags for the camp, studied textile design at Brighton University.
Ms Gregory was a stylist, writer and photographer before founding Amelia's Magazine and website six years ago, promoting ethical fashion and lifestyle. She said: “I think it's brilliant to see so many new faces here this year.”
Mr Smith became a central figure in the media team because he said they were “caught by surprise” by Climate Camp's media attention at Heathrow.
This year, he said, the group wanted to “engage and get our message across” and that organisers found it frustrating that so much focus had been on policing.
Miss Chambers, who grew up in the US, was arrested at the Plane Stupid protest at Stansted last December. “It was a scary step to take and not one I thought I'd take, but at certain times these kinds of actions are necessary and now is one of them for climate change.” She works for an education charity in Cambridge, and “facilitates” Climate Camp meetings in her spare time.
From California, Ms James studied at the National Film and Television School. At Blackheath she is training others to film the work of the camp for website Climate Camp TV. Ms James, who lives in Hackney, said: “My job is to amplify the message of the camp.”
Reader views (22)
OK they want to protest. Are they going to take all their rubbish home with them and recycle it? Will my husband get out of work today or will he be too late to see his children because a bunch of strangers are trying to break into the building he works in? No time for them.
- Beebie, UK
To Geraldine who says she can't she Blackheath over bank holiday.
I invite you to come to Thames Barrier Park or Beckton District park and see what it is like for residents to be near London City Airport. You can enjoy jet aircrafts thundering at 90dB.
At least you will get your Heath back soon, sadly our local open spaces are gone forever.
It is madeness to expand an airport in the middle of a residential area.
- W.L.., London
Gosh, the envious astroturfers are out in force in this comments section.
To listen to "Geraldine", you'd think that the Climate Change camp occupied the whole of Blackheath; well, it doesn't, just one corner of it, for less than a week.
"Loki", if any of the extremely hard-pressed local businesses do well from the arrival of the Climate Change camp, most of us will cheer. For the rest of the year, thanks to developers and watermain repairs, life is very hard for local businesses.
- Rachel M, London, UK
Interesting that so many people have the time to criticise the protesters so vehemently. By painting the non-apathetic participants as hypocrits, does it assuage their own guilt at inaction on the major issue of our times? Is cricising others a re-assertion of their own values, or just plain denial of the need to change their behaviour? Does being snide make them feel better about themselves?
- Chris, London, UK
"No go area" sounds a little (actually, a lot!) like they want the police to come charging in so that they can stand with pointing fingers and, weeping piteously, tell the world (again) how nasty the police are for doing their job. I'm not a big fan of CCTV, but this seems a nice way of applying the tech to avoid the 'trap'.
Note to activists and their like - YOU don't get to decide for yourselves when and where the police can go to do their job.
- Rogan, Irving
The police should let them sit in their own hay manure. Just a bunch of hippies and layabouts with either too much money and/or too much time on their hands.
Upper-middle class hand-wringing do-gooders.
- Captain Birds Eye, London
I hope the police can charge these idle children of the rich for the cost of policing in the same manner as football clubs. Likewise the local council for cleaning up afterwards.
- Tom, Watford (UK)
I dont think many of these "nutters" are on benefits, from the look of things the vast majority of them are very middle class, educated, moneyed people with family wealth as opposed to individual wealth. The whole thing of course stinks of hypocrisy!
I think its great, they are on blackheath, no annoying anyone or causing any damage, who cares, better there than disrupting central London! Im glad that someone is taking a step to publicise the problem. Good luck to them.
- Alan, London
To answer you question Scotty, all the ones that don't have trust funds by the sounds of it! Funny how they are all happy to live off this capitalist society they claim to hate so much in one way or another.
"activists do not trust the Met after violence at the G20 demos" funny that, I suspect the Met police have little trust in the protesters following G20 either.
Creating no-go areas and invading a public space makes these people no better than the gangs of hoodies that intimidate residents and feel they have the right to make their own rules and to hell with the rest of us.
- Emma, London
get a job
- David, Sale UK
I think sticking CCTV on cranes is hardly a nice way of the police to behave.
Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Iran!
- Wl, London
Scotty, I would imagine most of them live off the bank of mum and dad who no doubt drive the massive cars but of course they wouldnt say anything to them otherwise their trust funds might dry up
- Steven Jones, london
I think you will find a majority of these eco activists are living on the money from mummy or daddies trust fund.I know as i have met quite a few over the years at various music festivals/demo's ( even a few at the miners marches in the 80's).
Some of them can behave like complete annoying spoilt brats if they dont get their own way.
The apoplectic hissy fit of an over-indulged ,spoilt ,climate/road/enviromental protester can be quite amusing( i have the vids lol)
Having said that , i have made some smashing friends for life , met i must say during my more radical years over 20 years ago(christ im feel old now)
The police should have full access to the site 24/7 as there should be no NO GO AREAS in the country whatsoever.
As the protest is peaceful, the police should have no reason to act unless the law is broken ( i don't trust the met police , but they are all we have to protect us at the moment and yes we do need something better asap)
THE GENUINE HEARTFELT CLIMATE PROTESTER/ACTIVIST'S DESERVE ALL THE SUPPORT THE PUBLIC CAN GIVE THEM.
I hope to meet my old mate FILTHY TONY up on the heath over the weekend for a natter about the good old days and how we have both aged discragefully.
ALL THE BEST TO THE CLIMATE CAMP AND MAY THE GODDESS BLESS YOU ALL.
MR (ONCE A PAGAN ALWAYS A PAGAN) PASTRY
- Mr Pastry, london
Thanks very much to these protestors for ensuring that what is usually a lovely area to go walking is now out of bounds this bank holiday to us local residents. No I don't think entering your 'camp' to listen to you lot spouting off is just as good at all. The sooner you lot give us local residents our green space back the better ie. bugger off.
- Geraldine, London, Blackheath
Can't help wondering how many of this bunch of nutters are on benefits.
- Scotty, Cambridge UK
Here's hoping for rain
- Joseph, London
The idea that a group of people can (or think they can) "bar" the police from a public place is rather alarming, to say the least.
- Ollie, London
Creating no-go areas was one of the first tactics of terrorists in Northern Ireland.
There should be no no-go areas in the United Kingdom.
The Vestey family (Mark Brown)were better known as 'Dewhursts the butcher', and Lord Vestey the owner boasted that he had never paid income tax by using offshore financial ploys.
- John Jones, Westminster
So thats good news for the British public,the police are being told you cant come in.Have you something to hide peace people?So shall we tell all the police not to be anywhere in future?Also remember as much as people dislike our boys in blue,they are the first ones we call upon if there is a problem.So come on Mr police Huff and Puff and blow that straw toilet down.Sorry about refence to pigs.You have my respect.Straw bale toilet a bit rough to sit on peace people.Have a peaceful day all.
- Allan Clarke, Brasil
Just like animal farm, those who are more equal than others will start nipping off to the Clarendon hotel to sleep in human beds...and walking upright.
- Loki, Roskilde, DK
First it was called a truncheon, then an ASP, now it's called “community liaison”: I just can't keep up with these language changes.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
Have these people nothing better to do?Let planet earth shrivel up and explode.Makes no odds to me.
- Eddie, London
