Anti roads protest targets blair at 'green' speech
Oak | 06.03.2001 20:35
Protestors and anti-roads veterans this morning greeted blair outside the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London - where he was due to give his latest 'green' speech in an attempt to gain votes from environmentalists.
Anti roads protest targets blair at 'green' speech
Oak
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Text repoprt to go with photos
06.03.2001 20:37
This comes after labour has begun pressing ahead with a huge new road building programme.
Protestors carried large colour 'before' and 'after' photos from Twyford Down and Newbury sites illustrating the
environmental destruction, as well as 'before' shots and 'after' montages of what the Hastings and Salisbury routes might look like after trashing and road 'development'.
Others wore 'blair' masks and held signs saying:
'Climate Change: Business as usual is not an option'
'Climate Change: Do you want it BAD or really BAD?'
'Climate Change: Ducks float - Cars Don't'
Sir Micheal Meacher, Environment Minister arrived to be greeted by protestors and was handed a photo album - 'Down Memory Lane' featured shots of the destruction seen at Twyford and Newbury, and 'In Trust For Tommorrow' contained pictures of the conservation areas and sites of special scientific interest found at Hastings and Salisbury alongside mock ups of the sort of devestation that could be expected if the roads were to go ahead. Meacher took the album and was heard promising to pass it on to Tony Blair.
A lot of journos and cameras were present, so the protest should get some coverage, what with blair and the labour party now making the effort to appear greener in the run up to an election, and the fact that the huge numbers of new road schemes proposed have already received attention from both the 'political sell out' angle as well as the 'newbury mkII' angle.
When blair hismelf arrived he was greeted with chants and shouts but his minders and entourage ensured he was able to jump out of the car and straight into the venue in an instant, but of course Meacher had promised to pass on the photo album to tony himself :)
Emma Must, who was jailed in 1993 for demonstrating against the Twyford Down M3 motorway said: "Before they came to power, Labour heaped criticism on the tories for 'tearing the heart out of Twyford Down', and later promised to protect environmentally-sensitive sites from roadbuilding. Chris Smith and John Denham, now prominent members of the government, even supported our campaign against the M3; in 1993 they both made passionate speches from within the chalk cutting being bulldozed through the Down. The lanscapes around Hastings and Salisbury are every bit as precious as Twyford Down. If Labour goes ahead with these road schemes we'll ahve to rewrite the dictionary definition of hypocrisy".
Chris Todd, of the south-east England branch of Friends of the Earth said: "Hastings will be acid test of the Government's environmental credentials. The bypasses make little economic sense and would devastate some of our best countryside and wildlife sites. If built they will increase traffic along the South Coast, fuelling pressure for road-building in the Brede Valley and the new South Downs National Park. Hastings needs regeneration, but these roads would threaten 300 jobs in central Hastings, where jobs are most needed. If he doesn't want another Twyford or Newbury on his hands, Tony Blair must intervene to stop the roads."
Margaret Willmot, of Salisbury Transport 2000 said: "If the Government allows the proposed road schemes to be built, it will both betray the people of Salisbury and destroy any green credentials is still has. We must continue to explore less environmentally damaging alternatives."
Janet Griffin of Newbury Local Voices group said: "Whitnessing the destruction of Snellsmore Common during the building of the Newbury bypass was heart-breaking for local residents. Such devastation must not happen again at Salisbury or Hastings. I pledge my support to the campaigns fighting these road schemes, and urge Tony Blair to urgently stop and think, before he finds himself with another battle against Middle England on his hands."
Oak
Some background and corp media info
06.03.2001 20:56
The A259 Hastings Eastern and Western bypasses would damage three Sites of Special Scientific Interest, the High Weals Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and ancient woodland. The South East Regional Assembly recommended the bypasses for approval on 14th February. Their recommendation is being considered by Secretary of State for the Environment, John prescott, who is expected to make a decision soon.
The Salisbury bypass was scrapped by Labour in July 1997, but in December 2000 ministers gave the go ahead to the local council to build two sections of bypass, threatening a Special Area of Conservation and the lanscape setting of the city. Campaigners fear that pressure for completion of the missing link will aslo threaten the River Avon water meadows.
In 'A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England' (1998) Labour promised that:"There will be a strong presumption against new or expanded transport infrastructure which would adversley affect environmentally sensitive areas or sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Nature Reserves."
NB 'Roads to Ruin', a new national alliance against road building is being launched today, Monday 5th March.
BBC NEWS STORY TRACKING:
Blair faces anti-roads protesters
Monday, 5 March, 2001, 16:16 GMT
Anti-roads campaigners plan to protest against Tony Blair
Tony Blair is expected to face protests from anti-roads campaigners as he arrives for a flagship speech about the environment on Tuesday.
The campaigners, including veterans from the Twyford Down and Newbury protests, are accusing the government of broken promises over road building.
Blair pitches for green vote
Tuesday, 6 March, 2001, 14:26 GMT
Tony Blair was greeted by anti-road demonstrators
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has sought to boost Labour's green credentials by pledging £100m towards the development of renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar power.
The Green Party criticised Mr Blair's speech and suggested that Labour had no proper environment policies.
A spokesman said: "It's another case of the emperor's green clothes. On environment policy, Tony Blair is virtually starkers. But he insists on showing off what he hasn't really got."
Blair wins greens' praise
Tuesday, 6 March, 2001, 15:19 GMT
Protest for Blair on arrival, but praise as he left
From opposition politicians, the reaction to the speech on the environment by the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has been scornful.
The Conservatives dismissed it as "yet another pre-election stunt", and the Liberal Democrats said the government had failed miserably on the environment.
But Mr Blair has won rare praise from some of his normally fierce critics among the environmental campaigners.
Friends of the Earth said the Prime Minister had "thrown down a green gauntlet to the other party leaders."
SOME RECENT CORPORATE MEDIA COVERAGE OF ROADS ISSUE:
Ministers earmark £8bn for new road schemes
10 December 2000
The Government is touting for new road-building schemes in an astonishing reversal of its transport policies.
Battle over bypasses may hinge on Hastings
Tuesday December 12, 2000
Environment groups and transport campaigners are ready to challenge government plans to spend up to £1bn next year on roadworks and new bypasses which they say could increase traffic with no economic benefit.
The Department of Transport is expected in the next week to announce detailed plans for 77 bypass schemes put forward by councils, many in politically marginal areas.
Ministers provoke anger with new road schemes
15 December 2000
Green campaigners warned of the return of "Swampy-style" demonstrations yesterday after the Government decided to press ahead with 40 new road schemes.
Pressure groups said they were "shocked" by some of the announcements including the decision to build the second stage of the highly controversial Salisbury bypass. Other initiatives heavily criticised yesterday by both local people and green activists were new road projects at Weymouth, Dorset; Barnstaple, north Devon; Camelford, Cornwall and Leeds.
Battlelines drawn as Hastings bypass is granted approval
15 February 2001
The stage was set for confrontation between green activists and road builders yesterday when proposals for a Hastings bypass were given preliminary approval.
Oak