Yesterday (23/08/04) activists went to Caterpillar’s Finnings depot in Cannock. 3 activists entered the main building on the site and spent about 10 minutes talking to workers and handing out leaflets, before being roughly ejected by security. They then went to one of the other buildings and did exactly the same thing. After that, though, the third building was secured against us.

Meanwhile, other activists staged a demonstration on the road leading into the main building. They made lots of noise, and held a banner saying ‘Caterpillar: demolishing Palestinian homes’. People also went and placed leaflets under the windscreens of every car in the car park.

We then went to Caterkiller’s financial services division in Solihull. Funnily enough, they didn’t open the door for us, but we did find that the combination of wind and rain left a lot of leaflets stuck all over their windows and signs.

Later in the day, some other activists were in court; a pre-trial hearing for their prosecution over a previous action at CAT’s Solihull site. The 8 dispute the charges of failure to give their name when asked (in connection with ASBO law), and 1 of them challenges a charge of criminal damage. The court date was set for 17th, 18th, and 19th of January. All are innocent, and on the basis of evidence we’ve seen, we firmly expect that won’t be convicted.

Throughout, the time in court, the police harassed activists, in a manner described by an onlooker as ‘disgraceful’. There were 2 police inside the courtroom, a further 9 inside the building and around another dozen standing outside - all were on duty, and considering the length of our time in court, we estimate the cost of policing us (at the taxpayer’s expense) to be at around 40 hours of police pay: equivalent to an officer’s work for an entire week. Apparently, similar levels of security aren’t necessary for those accused of serious violent crime or drug related offences – just social activists with the audacity to challenge police lies. Before the court appearance the police also apparently felt it their public duty to stand in front of a banner the activists were holding up at the edge of a public footpath. They must think that it’s their business to choose which political messages the public get to see.

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links to recent actions:

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/06/273107.html - Occupation of CAT machinery at their stand at a trade fair.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/09/276508.html - pre DSEi rooftop occupation

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/280130.html - taking the message about CATerkiller in Palestine to shops that stock their merchandise.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287035.html - shrewsbury factory occupation March 04 (photos:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287129.html and  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287228.html)

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/04/289816.html - action against Rafael (Israeli arms dealer)

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291568.html and  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291359.html - pickets of financial services offices.

actions in 2002:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45857.html - 100 activists occupy CAT plant in Italy

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/04/27646.html - Desford HQ occupation

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For more information on CAT, check out:

 http://www.catdestroyshomes.org
 http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/kurdi_eng.html
 http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/corpwatch/caterpillar.pdf
 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150332004
 http://www.rachelcorrie.org
 http://www.stopcat.org