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Protest Camps News Roundup

news | 01.03.2004 00:00 | Ecology | Free Spaces

Blackwood Tree Camp: Eviction Alert: Wednesday 17th March! On March 11th, Costain's solicitors succeded in an appeal to overturn Blackwood camps high court permission to appeal against their eviction order. The camp has put in another appeal!. Meanwhile around 50 bailiffs have been protecting chainsaws as trees are felled at an increasing rate, including one with someone in it! (see reports 1, 2, 3 | pictures | short .mov clip).
The feared illegal eviction did not take place on Monday 8th, however increased numbers of bailiffs, police, and contractors have been cutting down the larger trees. Work was recently stopped on Saturday 7th, while on Friday afternoon Costain sub contractors (Walters) drove a tractor through a human chain of activists who were preventing logs from leaving a field (read report).

A High Court reprieve from eviction was granted on 4th March - the case will go back to court the week of March 22nd, however Costain and sub-contractors continue to illegally destroy protected species habitat. The word is that a team of 36 chainsaws will be deployed soon, while rumors say the team of bailiffs at Blackwood are earmarked to later move on to evict Nine Ladies protest camp. Also see Destruction Pictures | Bristol Indymedia Feature reports | Sub-contractor details | CorporateWatch on Blackwood.

Sherwood Campaign: 10th March: Council requests that Bellway reconsider development plans!. They have asked them to come back in one weeks time to propose a timescale for new proposals.
8th March: There are strong indications that an eviction is probably imminent, with the authorities scheduling the necessary preparatory meetings in the next days. On 25th February, Rob, a young lad in his early twenties, lost his footing on a walkway almost 50ft up when he slipped on an icy platform , he suffered multiple injuries, but has recovered well.

At Ossary Road in London, the last area of land being squatted against Asda/Walmart, has been served court papers, with an eviction expected on 11th March. This comes after one and a half years of campaigning and resistance against 6 evictions.

The Bilston Glen Protest Site has recently held an open day, while activists at Nine Ladies anti-quarry protest site are continuing their campaign and expect results of an appeal at the end of the month (see latest pics and report).

Also see Protest Site FAQ | Protest Camp List | Road Alert | How to counter common motoring myths



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Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

why no harnas?

27.02.2004 18:35

I have respect for Rob, but why does he not wear a harnas when people kept reminding him about this safety issue?

eric


people get carried away and are passionate

27.02.2004 18:53

there is a long list of injuries in this, like many other activities. safety should come first, but you cannot legislate everything.

i hope he recovers. i like many people used to climb without a harness. i'd have prefered to have one, but didn't. when faced with that choice i climbed anyway.

i also remember the complete disregard for safety shown by many baliffs in countless evictions.

look after each other, learn from mistakes, become stronger.

love and light.

x


tp


can we have updates on how he is doing?

02.03.2004 11:23

Be good to hear how Rob's doing-

DOT


info about the camp

02.03.2004 17:10

hey there guys yes wat happened with rob was very very stupid i think hes doin fine but now we make sure anyone on camp HAS to wear harnesses!!! i kno bcus im not allowed and i like climbing!!! um if anyone wants to come up/down to saint davids wood you'd be more than welcome and we need all the help we can get because the baliffs have started to become um well less than kind so please, please help!!! um you can find a map on one of the links in this site,
cheers,
xxjifxx

jen (aka jif)
mail e-mail: jifharvey@aol.com


Rob's ok

02.03.2004 19:17

Update at:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/286285.html

Rob seems to be doing pretty well after a nasty fall at Sherwood Forest protest camp last week and the extent of his injuries is not quite as bad as first feared. He has chipped the funny bone off his left elbow and dislocated the elbow too and now has a staple through it. His left wrist is also broken.

What was previously reported as 'organ damage' is now thankfully just a bruised kidney. He also has quite a bit of bruising including two black eyes. When we visited him yesterday he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. This was undoubtedly helped by the great email response people have sent in. People from all over the world has sent messages of support including emails from Baghdad, Africa, and the USA as well as Mansfield Woodhouse too.

Pete


Sherwood Camp , Council Meeting , Positive Outcome (for now)

12.03.2004 00:52

Col, 11.03.2004 21:40

Council request that bellway reconsider development plans
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/286742.html

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