Photos from Save Radley Lakes demo
Gregor Samsa | 10.03.2007 21:51 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Oxford
Street theatre - acting out N-power's actions
Dr Harris MP addresses the multitude
Starting with a rally at Abingdon's Guildhall, addressed by local MP Dr Evan Harris, Abingdon's mayor and supporters of the Save Radley Lakes Campaign, the group marched on to the Lakes themselves, where they met up with a group of cyclists from Oxford. Press were in attendance (and a couple of young, mysterious photographers, suspected of being intelligence gatherers for N-power), and the demo received substantial and sympathetic coverage on Meridian's news that evening.
Gregor Samsa
Additions
550 march in protest
11.03.2007 07:34
Adny
It was the Sandles eviction raised the issue on to my radar
11.03.2007 10:07
We shouldn't fall into the "divide and rule" trap - there's always been arrestables and non-arrestables in every environmental head-to-head between community and State.
I think its unfair to characterise this as a polarised campaign: core members of Save Radley Lakes were physically abused by Shecurity while those members were trying to photograph the physical abuse of one of the six Sandles squatters.
The predominantly local-led nature of this campaign is important to its strength - and press-wise, helps prevent right-wing tabloids from attempting to characterise the campaign using oppressive stereotypes.
On the other hand, it is interesting to see that the Abindgdon constabulary does not send in snatch squads to rugby tackle Abingdonians wearing full face balaclavas, whereas a scrum of mask-wearing Wombles would have been banged up before Uncle Bulgaria could wink twice.
Perhaps both Shecurity, NPower and the Police are scared of violently putting down the local people's protest, and this might be why this campaign succeeds in the end. And if there is such a time that local people decide to use NVDA, and want advice and help, there's a wealth of knowledge among environmental activists in Oxon to ensure their safety and success.
Jon Rees
Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
dr evan harris a puppet for the vivisection industry
10.03.2007 22:27
This lame arse brown nosed arrogant twat is a serious liabilty.
Bill
Too little, too late
10.03.2007 22:27
lake lover
re: lake lover
11.03.2007 12:37
lova lake
Bog off, Bill!
11.03.2007 15:33
Sooty
Hit npower where it hurts
11.03.2007 22:04
And anyone who supports animal torture for profit has no right to exist let alone address a demo.
Doof
to lova lake
12.03.2007 19:11
I just get pissed off at the attitude I meet time and time again - and I'm not talking generally - I was there in Radley and got the nasty looks and side comments.
lake lover
that's what you get if you dress like a frog and smoke too much pot!
12.03.2007 23:06
psyche ward
one struggle
14.03.2007 19:25
For example, the type of injunction currently being used at Radley in an attempt to intimidate people out of their right to protest was used first on animal rights campaigns (the Oxford lab being just one example).
We need to recognise we are seeing a general crackdown on effective dissent, and unless we stand up for each other we will be picked off one campaign at a time. Whatever your views on vivisection you should stand with AR activists to defend everyone's freedom to protest.
Oh, and if that sounds like too much to swallow for those of you who don't normally sympathise with AR people, just try talking to a few of them and you'll discover they are generally intelligent and caring people, not the demonic creatures the media would have you believe.
anon
Radley Lakes
20.11.2008 09:36
Annomous Person