Climate Camp – South Coast 2011

Resurrection for the Insurrection
23rd April — 1st May
Location: St. Anne’s School, Lewes

Imagine another world. A world where people matter, where the outstanding issues of the day, climate change, community resilience and workers rights are addressed and we can look forward to a more radical and sustainable future.

Imagined it? Good. Now come to the South Coast Climate Camp this Easter and help us build it.

The South Coast Climate Camp is popping up in Sussex to highlight the climate criminals along our coastline. We have drilling for oil in the South Downs National Park, an agrofuels plant proposed for Shoreham Harbour, proposed airport expansion and of course the incinerator in Newhaven.

All this climate criminality not only adds to the outrageous levels of greenhouse gases spewing into the atmosphere, it also despoils our National Parks and generally charming countryside. It ain’t right. Something needs to be done.

The South Coast Camp for Climate Action will take place from the Easter weekend through to the May Day celebrations somewhere on the beautiful South Downs in Sussex. Through living, eating and working together, we hope the camp will act as a positive catalyst for change, transforming both the camp community and the communities around it.

We aim to create a safe space where people can meet, share ideas, plan actions and then go do them.

At the end of the week we shall, as tradition dictates be taking part in a mass action. This will form part of Brighton’s May Day celebrations where many direct action groups from around the country are converging in the seaside resort for a very special day of direct action.

Workshops are invited from, UK Uncut, Plane Stupid, SolFed, Smash EDO, No Borders, Grow Heathrow, Transition Towns, the Rebel Clown Army and many more. Skill shares will be held on permaculture, guerilla gardening, workers rights and tactics of resistance, cooking, building rocket stoves, bee keeping & community organising: among other stuff.

We will share the knowledge and experience we have gathered over many years with local community groups to leave a lasting legacy: a truly radicalised community. The camp itself is just the sowing of the seed.

Visit http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk

Produced by “You and I Films”
http://www.youandifilms.com

Well done Climate Camp for seizing this site.

Political police infiltration of activists

Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone infiltrated various political and environment groups for over 7 years.

Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy was first exposed as a police infiltrator on UK Indymedia UK.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/10/466477.html

He came to mainstream media attention who went into their usual feeding frenzy when the Ratcliffe-on-Soar conspiracy trial collapsed earlier this week. It is difficult to prove conspiracy when those charged have not engaged in a conspiracy. The trial collapsed when it emerged that the police were withholding key evidence, namely that their undercover police officer was there at the meeting where the alleged conspiracy had taken place and he had offered to give evidence on behalf of the defendants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12152484
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12148753
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12149700

What has now emerged is that according to an interview Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy has given for tomorrow’s Mail on Sunday, he had taped the meeting and the police had withheld this crucial piece of evidence from the defence lawyers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347478/Undercover-policeman-tells-amazing-story-years-eco-warriors-I-fear-life.html

In this Mail on Sunday interview Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone claims to be in hiding, in fear of his life, living in a barricaded room in the US, but has nevertheless managed to give an interview to the Mail on Sunday and discuss book deals.

How much money was he paid? We know Judas got 30 pieces of silver.

He claims there to be 15 working under cover to his knowledge.

He claims he recorded the Ratcliffe meeting, thus there was no evidence of conspiracy. If true, why no disclosure by the Police to the defendants?

Mark Stone aka Mark Kennedy is not the only one to get caught. CAAT was infiltrated by someone working for BAE Systems.

But the underlying question is why? This is political policing. This is not Tunisia or Iran or the former Soviet Union. This has taken place in a supposedly democratic country. The police should not be going undercover, spying on, or interfering in the democratic process.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472102.html

People have the right to protest. That is how change takes place. The police should be protecting our right to protest.

Have the police not got better things to do? Are there not criminals to catch, fraudsters, drug dealers, people traffickers?

Credit where credit is due to the Mail on Sunday, they have at least interviewed the guy, not trawled Indymedia UK then reported as though a scoop.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/12/second-undercover-police-officer-unmasked
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/12/second-undercover-police-officer

BBC Two Newsnight a few nights back had good coverage and raised some very serious questions.

One of the issues raised is that the police deliberately withheld vital evidence, evidence that showed that those charged were innocent. Worse still, the police are still running a smear campaign by falsely claiming the direct action would have put lives at risk. In his interview with the Mail on Sunday Mark Kennedy has shown that was not the case, a point reiterated the following day by one of those charged, Bradley Day. [see Ratcliffe case: Police smear campaign continues despite Mark Kennedy revelations]

There has to be a full and comprehensive Independent Public Inquiry, not of the activities of Mark Kennedy aka Mark Stone per se who appears to be the tip of the iceberg but of political infiltration by the state which is not acceptable in a democratic society.

Top story in What A Disaster (Monday 17 January 2011).

Also see

Mark Stone gives his first interview to the Mail on Sunday

Ex-undercover Pc Mark Kennedy says he is a ‘scapegoat

Mark Kennedy accuses senior officers of suppressing vital evidence

How beautiful redhead girlfriend blew eco-spy’s cover after finding passport with his real name

Mark Kennedy and the impenetrable world of police moles

Undercover police officer says he fears for his life

Tricked, betrayed, violated: did police spy use sex to win activists’ trust?

Mark Kennedy: A journey from undercover cop to ‘bona fide’ activist

Undercover officer spied on green activists

Revealed: Second undercover police officer who posed as activist

Second police officer to infiltrate environmental activists unmasked

Ratcliffe case: Police smear campaign continues despite Mark Kennedy revelations

Mark Kennedy infiltrated German anti-fascists, Bundestag told

Oily Gaga

Outside the historic RBS branch at St Andrews Square in Edinburgh, Climate Campers perform “Oily Gaga” in protest over RBS’s dirty investments in Tar Sands projects. A protestor attempts to open a bank account but for some reason the branch is closed.

More film footage at Climate Camp TV.

Also see

Who Are The “Principal Environmental Extremists”?

Climate Camp 2010: Twitter Backfires… or does it?

‘Phantom’ oil slick was a smear against Climate Camp

Climate Camp vs RBS – We’ve arrived

Raising a Ruckus

Ribs the Trojan Pig makes a mess at Cairn Energy

The health effects of Tar Sands

The health effects of Tar Sands

But one thing I realised again and again these past few days was quite the extent to which the RBS top dogs – and consequently the police – were frightened. – Sophie

RBS has blood on its hands. The tar sands extraction project in Alberta, Canada, is by all accounts (and that includes figures inside the business) the most carbon-intensive project we have ever come up with as a species. It is leaving a UK-sized hole that looks like Tolkien’s Mordor, full of poisonous tailing-ponds, in the Canadian wilderness. – Sophie

Concerted action to tackle climate change will happen only if the public demands it for the sake of future generations. – James Hansen

The Royal Bank of Scotland was exposed as rotten to the core when it speculated in the sub-prime market, almost brought down the banking system and had to be bailed out with billions of pounds of taxpayers money. This had a knock on effect of causing the economy to collapse and creating a mountain of public debt, for which we are all paying, especially the poor, with savage cuts to public services.

The bank is now accountable, is investing in small businesses the engines of any economic recovery, is helping to finance new and growing green and sustainable businesses which everyone recognises as the future?

Err no.

€2.3 billion has been invested in tars sands extraction in Canada.

RBS is investing in brutal resource wars in Africa. $100 million to Tullow Oil for drilling on the border between Congo and Uganda. So far 15 million people have been killed in the resource wars between these two countries. Tullow Oil together with their partners Heritage Oil have been arming both sides in the conflict.

RBS is financing Cain Oil to drill in the Arctic. The CEO of Cain welcomes global warming as more ice melts giving access to more oil.

RBS is Europe’s biggest financier of fossil fuel exaction accounting for 3% of global carbon emission, greater than the UK total carbon emission.

The People own the bank. They make the effort to recycle, walk not drive, use the car less, turn down the heating, insulate their homes, maybe not take that foreign holiday they were looking forward to, buy a greener car. All of which is to nought because of the actions of a bank that they own.

also see

Climate Camp – Why RBS

Yes, we broke the law as climate change activists. And this is why

Am I an activist for caring about my grandchildren’s future? I guess I am

New Study Links Toxic Pollutants to Canadian Oil Sands Mining

Oil sands polluting Alberta river system

Climate Camp vs RBS – We’ve arrived

Raising a Ruckus

Ribs the Trojan Pig makes a mess at Cairn Energy

Ribs the Trojan Pig makes a mess at Cairn Energy

Also see

Climate Camp vs RBS – We’ve arrived

Raising a Ruckus

A case for the Camp for Climate Action

Homage to Caledonia

Raising a Ruckus

Climate Camp has set up camp outside the global headquarters of Royal Bank of Scotland to highlight their funding of dirty energy. Unless we park our tanks on their lawns nothing will change. It is only by taking direct action that we effect change.

A report revealed today by the Sunday Herald shows that RBS has provided nearly £13 billion worth of funding to the oil and gas industries since it was bailed out by the taxpayer two years ago. This is at a time when small businesses are being starved into bankruptcy through lack of finance.

Also see

Climate Camp vs RBS – We’ve arrived

How RBS funds ‘dirty oil’

Why should state-owned companies be ethics-free zones?

RBS: £13bn funding to companies blamed for global warming

RBS under siege over “environmental vandalism”

Climate change campaigners turn up the heat on RBS chiefs

RBS Porkies and Climate Camp Frogs

RBS moves to avoid protest

Climate Camp vs RBS – We’ve arrived

Climate Camp is this year in Edinburgh during the Fringe targetting RBS, bailed out by the taxpayer and now funding tar sands expansion in Canada.

Climate Camp has set up camp right next to the Royal Bank of Scotland Global HQ!

No democratic advancement has ever been achieved without direct action. Those in power do not voluntarily give it up.

Further images have been posted by Amelia Gregory.

Last year Climate Camp occupied Blackheath Common in Greewich.

Also see

Blood Bank – RBS funding clmate chaos and ecocide

Climate Camp: Breaking the Bank

Climate Camp Scotland

High Pressure Front

Climate protest camp targets RBS headquarters

Protest at RBS group oil support

Activists set up Climate Camp at Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters

Climate protester breaches RBS Gogarburn security and glues herself to desk

Pakistani floods reportedly triggered by climate change

Greenwash spill at the BP-sponsored National Portrait cotland