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Radley Wildlife Havens Destroyed, But No Photographs Please.

Mr Bombastic | 17.02.2007 16:15 | Rossport Solidarity | Ecology | Free Spaces | Repression | Birmingham | Oxford

Destruction of roosting and breeding grounds, assault, endangerment of life and a High Court Injunction to prevent anybody photographing the perpetrators.

On the morning of Wednesday 14th The Ant sent out a call saying that npower contractors had started cutting down the trees on the edge of Thrupp Lake. He did this from a small camp, he had maintained opposite the entrance to the npower property since he and others had been dangerously evicted from there a week ago.
I and others arrived Wednesday afternoon to find the lakes still being patrolled by masked Shercurity employees who had prior to our arrival had held The Ant pinned down for 25 minutes for trying to prevent trees being felled subsequent to his arrest. A group of us stayed at the camp that night, opposite Sandles from which the security, police and contractors are now operating. It was clear that the security were not happy with us being there, they filmed people took car registrations and acted in an intimidating manner. In the early hours of Thursday morning Chris was assaulted by an employee of the Shercurity while on npower land. I witnessed this event, despite being put in an arm lock and being manhandled by employees of Shercurity. We called the police and Chris was arrested for trespass, but no definitive action was taken against the security person who had been accused of the assault.
On the morning of the 15th despite an ongoing legal case to give the much loved wildlife and recreational area town green status, teams of contractors arrived at Sandles and took boats out to the islands and started to clear fell them. The normal cries of huge numbers of gulls, geese, cormorants, swans, ducks, terns emanating from the lake was replaced by the sound of chainsaws and this beautiful sanctuary now appeared void of life. We started taking photographs of the destruction as one by one they cleared the islands of trees and scrub destroying the roosting and breeding areas of thousands of birds. Sickened I walked back along Thrupp Lane toward the camp to see a group Shercurity employees and two guys in suits carrying papers walking towards me, filming me. So I started taking pictures of them along with a member of the local press. Two npower lawyers informed us that we where being served an injunction making it illegal for us to take photos of npower employees, Shercurity or property even though we where stood on a public highway. I returned to the camp and not long after a sergeant arrived with a search warrant to search property at the camp. After trying to observe the search of several people’s property that were not present I was told I was obstructing them and to move back so I started taking photos from the road as a record of the search. I was then told that I was not allowed to take photos of the search or anybody else under the injunction. So I started taking photos of myself and was then asked to give my details while surrounded and filmed by the security which had endangered the life of my friends and assaulted them. Feeling intimidated and believing that I had a right not to, I refused and was cuffed and arrested without formal charge or caution and was subsequently charged under section 50 of the police reform act and with breach of the High Court Injunction. Unfortunately my camera has been seized so please excuse the lack of pictures. But if you fancy a day out taking some wildlife pictures, I can highly recommend Radley lakes as an interesting and entertaining spot, unfortunately most of the wildlife is no longer present but you may be able to catch a rare glimpse of greater masked twat.

Love and light Mr Bombastic BSc Dislexic.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/01/360848.html?c=on#c166772

 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/361847.html?c=on#c166453

 http://www.saveradleylakes.org.uk/

Mr Bombastic

Additions

The local press...

17.02.2007 18:15

Here's a link to the report on the treatment of the local press photographer:

 http://www.epuk.org/News/472/npower-injunction-on-epuk-member

Seems nPower are desperate to stop publicity, I'd agree it's a very good tactic to make sure it continues to appear. Very best of luck.

mini mouse


Comments

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take a leaf

17.02.2007 19:04

out of ALF's book and get tuffer

Alfie