Swoop of the Day, Sir?

Sunday, 25 October 2009

It was another of those Saturdays when the lie-in looked like it was going to have to be, as Scooby Doo would put it, a ‘racrifice’. Nottingham was calling and it was too big an issue to claim that the pillow had me in a killer headlock. Plus we had another reason to visit Robin Hood’s hood. Our son Billy was off to Trent Uni open day to check out the politics course. Happily our route to that fine city took us along the wonderful A453, right past the dirty beast that is E-on’s coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar.

WHY RATCLIFFE-ON-SOAR?

The Great Climate Swoop was the outcome of over two thousand activists taking part in an online vote during August to decide on the venue of the next climate protest. The result was announced at the Climate Camp in Blackheath on 30 August and the winner was...................Ratcliffe-on-Soar, near Nottingham, Britain’s third most polluting power station. The plan was to swoop on the site over the weekend of 17-18 October and to close the plant down safely.

The site has history. Earlier in the year, the police had attracted considerable criticism after a mass arrest of 114 people for conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass at Ratcliffe. Talking about the disproportionate police operation, Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson said, “the scale of it makes people think we are dealing with a major terrorist incident”. So far no charges have been bought in connection with this incident.

The action was co-ordinated by Camp for Climate Action, Climate Rush & Plane Stupid, three of the newer, more radical environmental protest groups with a taste for direct action. Some of the more conservative environmental groups chose not to officially endorse the action. I guess TTRP’s feeling – and the reason that we went - is that there’s only so much that marching can achieve. The last time it brought down any perimeters was when some bloke called Joshua plodded around the walls of Jericho with a few of his mates. The story may be more reliable than if it was issued by the police PR department, but it was a pretty long time ago.

BEWARE - MOMENTUM CAN LEAD TO COMPLACENCY

The Great Climate Swoop took place in the context of some recent encouraging environmental decisions. On 8 October E-on, owners of Ratcliffe-on-Soar, had announced that they were indefinitely delaying building a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent. A couple of days later, BAA advised that it would not be submitting a planning application for the proposed third runway at Heathrow before the next election and would not be signing any large contracts in an attempt to bounce an incoming government into proceeding with its plan. Two days later the wonderfully-named Dong Energy announced that it would be pulling out of plans for the erection of a coal-fired power plant in Ayrshire in Scotland. These decisions, in quick succession, must have made some environmental activists think that the battle was over and we suspect that this – and the direct action nature of the plan – resulted in fewer people turning up.

FUNNY ENOUGH, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT.....

I’m not one to bang on about coincidences but this weekend brought together several that were handy to say the least. Firstly, Nottingham Trent University’s open day was on the Saturday and our son was due to check out the campus and the politics course. Secondly, I work for a charity which has just opened a new facility about 5 miles from Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which is accessed from the M1 by the same road, the A453. Thirdly, I was due one of my rare visits to my employer’s site on Friday 16 October. As I drove to work I noticed considerable additional security fencing and lighting which had been brought in for the weekend. On my way home, I made a slight detour to check out East Midlands Parkway train station, which services the power station, in order to finalise plans for travel the next day.

DIRTY POLICING LEADS TO DEVIOUS THOUGHTS

Although we were planning to protest legally, my mind was full of sneaky plans to access the area if the police got awkward (yet again). Work material (but I didn’t want to use the charity’s name), getting an email from the owners of the marina next to the train station (I don’t look like a marina man!) and, more realistically, my son’s invite to the Uni. In the end, I decided that I had nothing to hide and would travel as an activist. It’s a sign of our distrust of the police that we still printed off ‘bust cards’ to take with us so that we knew our rights and had a lawyer to call if the police overstepped the mark.

DAY DAWNS ON THE GREAT CLIMATE SWOOP

In the end we decided to drive in the TTRP eco-car as there was no sensible way to combine our various destinations with the vagaries of national and local public transport. As we approached the site, there were police everywhere. At the station, cars were being searched and drivers questioned. Having dropped Billy off to look into political theory, we headed back to find the best access point for political action. We left the car in a lay-by a couple of miles away and trekked up the hill. It was hard work but we were encouraged by the fact that we were moving faster than the traffic which had been slowed by the effects of the protest.

We were aiming to meet one of the four groups at the main gate at 12 but, as we approached the site, we joined another group and ended up at the east gate. The area beyond this gate was perfect for a swoop, with a small downhill slope between a wooded area and the fence. Protesters would disappear into the woods and then reappear near another part of the fence, making it an afternoon of cat and mouse games.

There were an estimated thousand protesters around the perimeter fence, joined by a large number of reporters and quite a few much-needed legal observers. Some of the most popular visitors were the foot soldiers from Veggies, Nottingham-based vegan caterers celebrating 25 years in business by providing fuel for the fences. Surrounded by mayhem, they cheerily cycled through the crowds, offering lovely samosas, cake and hot drinks for whatever people could afford. They typified the community spirit among the protesters.

NICE POLICE OR NASTY POLICE? THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!

Unsurprisingly we were joined by a very large number of police (although using police ‘protest attendance counting skills’ there were probably only three officers there). Like Action Man or Barbie, the modern police personnel come with any number of accessories. Here they were on foot, in vans, in cars (marked and unmarked), on horses, on dirt bikes, in helicopters, with dogs, and on open back trucks with video cameras. Following the deserved media attention resulting from Climate Camp 2008 and the G20 protests, the police had taken a ‘softly softly’ approach at this year’s Climate Camp (i.e. the police stayed away and there was no trouble), so we were interested to see how they would manage this one.

Although the ordinary coppers didn’t appear overly aggressive in general, they didn’t seem to know what they were doing. They could have done with a bit more training and a lot better leadership. In stark contrast, the flat caps were quite aggressive. One of them got into a ridiculous argument with a young protester who soundly whipped this senior officer in his knowledge of the law. The officer in question then brought out his ultimate weapon – his sharp repartee – and announced, “as far as I am concerned, this conversation is over!” If we had been quicker, and possibly teenage in years, we could all have made ‘L’ signs on our foreheads to complete his humiliation. He’s probably lying in bed now, thinking of wittier comebacks........

NON-VIOLENT VIOLENCE

I wasn’t shocked to find out that the press had put its main focus on the violent aspects of the weekend although, in truth, there weren’t many. We saw plenty of violence against fences* but no violence against police officers (unless you count being squashed up against one of them in a manner which would be deemed embarrassing even on a rush hour tube train – “I didn’t know you cared, officer!”) And by the way, when I say I didn’t see anything, I don’t mean in the same sense as the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger didn’t see anything. I will not be disciplining any protesters in the changing room after the swoop.....

Most press coverage included the story about a police officer sustaining a head injury, being taken to hospital by air ambulance and, bizarrely, “his family being informed”, something usually reserved for when someone has died. Imagine the spin that could have been spun if there was any evidence connecting the injury with violence by a protester. Instead, the story was just fed to the press with an insinuating silence. Bearing in mind some of the police PR department’s recent classics, we are a little suspicious about some of their stories.

THE POLICE PR DEPARTMENT – BASED ON A TRUE STORY???

Remember Jean-Charles de Menezes who was shot by police at a South London tube station? Initially he was reported as wearing a heavy coat, vaulting the ticket barrier and refusing to stop when instructed to do so by officers? That’s right, there was no heavy coat, he bought a ticket and went through the barrier as usual, and witnesses dispute police evidence about any commands given. And then they murdered him.

Remember Climate Camp 2008 at Kingsnorth, when we were told a large number of police officers had been injured as a result of the actions of protesters? That’s right, details flushed out under the Freedom of Information Act showed that some of these were wasp stings (what? the bloody wasps are protesting now??), some hay fever and, in fact, a grand total of a fat zero number of injuries were caused by non-insect-based protesters.

Remember Ian Tomlinson, killed at the G20 protests in London? Initially he was reported as having collapsed ill (heart attack?) and monstrous protesters were supposed to have thrown bottles as the police struggled valiantly to save his life. That’s right, then the video evidence emerged with him being hit and shoved to the floor by police thugs, none of whom have yet been charged with any offence – over six months later.

To be honest (a policy I’m trialling for the police), if I was as bad at my job as some of the police PR department, I would have expected to be sacked by now. Unless........

SWOOPER TROOPERS

The afternoon consisted of repeated swoops on selected sections of the fence, aided by sheer numbers, plenty of rope and various bits of climbing equipment. During one such swoop, someone at the back started lobbing a few pine cones over the fence in the direction of the police. Admittedly there was little likelihood of any physical harm (“agh! It got me in the eye!” “don’t worry, I’ll call the cone hotline”) but the reaction of the protesters was enlightening. Several turned and shouted at the thrower, telling him to stop being stupid as this was a peaceful protest.

Moments later, one overzealous male officer wrestled a young woman to the ground before retreating when her climbing rope turned out to be the string on a banner. I didn’t hear his apology, but then there was a lot going on. I have a picture of this incident but because of a) my photography skills b) the quality of my camera and c) general argy bargy around the crime scene, it’s turned out like a still from the Blair Witch Project so you’re just going to have to trust me on this one.

In mid-afternoon, I found myself on the A453 overlooking the east gate where party met protest (Emma Goldman would have been proud). After the silly games and a bit of a skank to the sound system, a consensus meeting was called to decide how best to support the next swoops at 3pm. I can’t decide which I enjoyed watching the most – the democratic process taking place or the obvious confusion of the three coppers on the bridge (“I’m no stranger to a bit of consensus, sarge, but I just can’t work out who’s actually in charge”).

Sadly, we had to leave shortly afterwards but hundreds stayed on and many camped overnight. Apparently they awoke to their very own security cordon and commented that they felt much safer than they did at Reading or Glastonbury with considerably less chance of their mobiles being nicked. There were more swoops on Sunday morning and the protest was over by lunchtime on the Sunday.

MEASURING SUCCESS

E-on and the protesters had different views on the success of the weekend with E-on proudly announcing that they had continued to belch filthy pollution into the atmosphere all weekend long. For us, we were simply pleased to have been able to count ourselves among those who were there and continue to raise the issue of climate change and the harm it’s doing to the world’s poorest people because of our apathy and greed. Despite rumours circulating among our friends (ok, mainly started by me) that Gill was seen on top of the fence, juggling pieces of coal and singing rude songs about the police, we didn’t take part in the attacks on the fences. But as we see more and more that discussion isn’t changing the way corporations behave and direct actions (and promises of lots more) have seen results at Kingsnorth and Heathrow, it’s time to start asking whether civil disobedience and direct action are two of the few tools we have left.

How many people were arrested over the weekend? Police PR department day 1 – “80”, police PR department day 2 – “ok, actually it was only 52”. Are they just crap at maths or should we worry about the missing 28? Surely not extraordinary rendition from East Midlands Airport?

GLOBAL CRIMINAL DAMAGE

So a large majority of the few arrested will be charged with criminal damage or something similar (apparently it’s still not illegal to be a hippy wielding a vegan samosa – you missed that one, Bliar!), but we need to step back and ask some questions in the real world. Some protesters damage some fences and get arrested. A huge corporation, backed by our government and its police force (they’re not our police force), continues to contribute to climate change, thus affecting the world’s poorest and most marginalised people. Will the real criminals please stand up!

WHO TURNED THE LIGHTS OUT?

Later that weekend I got into an online discussion with an old mate who was making the point that a lot of people are making, usually echoing the opinions of those at the top of the fossil fuel industry. If we turn off the coal-fired power stations, won’t all the lights go out? At this point, we need a bit of joined up thinking. There are two problems with coal (no, Nick Griffin, one of them isn’t the fact that it’s black). Yes, it is a disgustingly dirty fuel solution but, of course, it’s a non-renewable source, one that we’re using at a much faster rate than it will ever be replaced. Although not believed to be in such short supply as ‘black gold’, just like oil, it will run out. So we need to be looking at the transition plan now, not twiddling our thumbs and hoping the problem will go away. While E-on are spouting greenwash, people’s lives are being affected. We need to be investing now in clean, renewable energy solutions and we need to be changing the way we live so that others can continue to live.

Rant over.

This article was prepared to the sound of a bit of Sonic Boom Six.