Eviction of Dalkeith Park Bypass Protesters has started
Imc Scotland | 20.01.2006 00:00 | Ecology | Repression
The first tree-sitters have been cut loose from their oaks on Monday at Dalkeith Country Park, south of Edinburgh, Scotland.
The top site of the four sites strong anti-road building resistance has been cleared by the specialised climbers of the National Eviction Team from Swansea with a 70 people strong team under the lead of the Sheriff Officers, supported by additional 30 policemen to protect the fenced off site from protesters, bystanders and the media.
The other three protest sites inside the Dalkeith Country Park are scheduled to be cleared in the next days, if not weeks - the Scottish Executive plans to spend two to five weeks on the eviction of the protesters estimated to cost £1.4m in total.
[ Imc Scotland | Save Dalkeith Park | pictures of eviction | reports: 1,2,3, | Directions to protest sites | Call for Public Inquiry into A68 Dalkeith Bypass | Interview with Mark Ballard, Green MSP | Interview with Friends of the Earth | Interview with Scottish Natural Heritage | Short film]
other anti-road building campaigns in Scotland:
[Friends of the Earth Legal challenge of M74 | JAM74 - Joint Action Against Motorway 74 | Bilston Woods Protest Camp | No Alignment Action Group NAAG | Road Alert - Scotland ]
top site: taking down the tree house
The tree sits were erected in October, the road building was suddenly initialised after a decade of total standstill.
The building of the Bypass coincides with the legal courtcase against the extension of the M74 in Glasgow, carried by Friends of the Earth.
PR representatives from the Scottish Executive and the police were both present to inundate the media with the authorities' points of view, but the willpower and determination of the arrested protesters and the unique beauty of the threatened nature in Edinburgh's Green Belt speak louder than any amount of money used to justify the road-building.
Other environmental campaigns:
[ Roadblock | Road Raging | Road Rage | Earth First! | Indymedia UK ecology topic | Climate Imc | Saving Iceland! | Anti-Linslade Bypass Campaign | 9 Ladies Anti-Quarry Campaign | Sherwood Forest Anti Road Campaign ]
Imc Scotland