Press release from Climate Camp Media: Police attack protesters
Camp Media | 19.08.2007 16:05 | Climate Camp 2007 | Climate Chaos | London
Riot police armed with truncheons backed by mounted police waded into protesters slowly marching from the Camp for Climate Action towards BAA headquarters. The march was part of the day of mass action which had been publicly announced the yesterday. On-site medics have treated at least five people who sustained head injuries and one person who had been trodden on by a police horse.
For Immediate Release
UPDATE: Police attack protesters’ march towards BAA
Riot police armed with truncheons backed by mounted police waded into protesters slowly marching from the Camp for Climate Action towards BAA headquarters. The march was part of the day of mass action which had been publicly announced the yesterday. On-site medics have treated at least five people who sustained head injuries and one person who had been trodden on by a police horse.
The fact that the majority of the corporate media had been covering the children’s demonstration at a separate location meant that the police could act with relative impunity in violently assaulting the protestors. One reporter from Channel 5 who was present at the attack said that they had been kicked by the police.
Despite the heavy handed attack, around three hundred people managed to reach the BAA headquarters and proceeded to occupy the entrance and car park, stringing up banners denouncing the company. Dozens of police vans and lines of riot police cordoned off the area and prevented hundreds more from entering the site, effectively blockading the site on behalf of the Camp for Climate Action.
Protestors had targeted the BAA headquarters in order to highlight the corporate profiteers of climate change rather than choosing to disrupt the passengers at Heathrow. As promised by the camp, the mass action made no attempt to disrupt Heathrow.
In a separate action earlier on in the day, three teenaged women, aged 14, 15 and 16 occupied a roof at the BAA-owned Heathrow Business Academy opposite the BAA headquarters and dropped a banner that said “Make Planes History.” Their protest continues.
There have been 6 confirmed arrests and 6 more that are currently unconfirmed today. Today’s arrests bring the total of confirmed Climate Camp-related arrests to 56.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
The teenagers who dropped the banner are currently on the roof of the Heathrow Business Academy and can be contacted on 079821 04537
For further enquiries, contact the camp media team on 0777 286 1099 or 07858 177 178
For a photo of the teenagers on the roof, contact Mike on 07966 372 890
UPDATE: Police attack protesters’ march towards BAA
Riot police armed with truncheons backed by mounted police waded into protesters slowly marching from the Camp for Climate Action towards BAA headquarters. The march was part of the day of mass action which had been publicly announced the yesterday. On-site medics have treated at least five people who sustained head injuries and one person who had been trodden on by a police horse.
The fact that the majority of the corporate media had been covering the children’s demonstration at a separate location meant that the police could act with relative impunity in violently assaulting the protestors. One reporter from Channel 5 who was present at the attack said that they had been kicked by the police.
Despite the heavy handed attack, around three hundred people managed to reach the BAA headquarters and proceeded to occupy the entrance and car park, stringing up banners denouncing the company. Dozens of police vans and lines of riot police cordoned off the area and prevented hundreds more from entering the site, effectively blockading the site on behalf of the Camp for Climate Action.
Protestors had targeted the BAA headquarters in order to highlight the corporate profiteers of climate change rather than choosing to disrupt the passengers at Heathrow. As promised by the camp, the mass action made no attempt to disrupt Heathrow.
In a separate action earlier on in the day, three teenaged women, aged 14, 15 and 16 occupied a roof at the BAA-owned Heathrow Business Academy opposite the BAA headquarters and dropped a banner that said “Make Planes History.” Their protest continues.
There have been 6 confirmed arrests and 6 more that are currently unconfirmed today. Today’s arrests bring the total of confirmed Climate Camp-related arrests to 56.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
The teenagers who dropped the banner are currently on the roof of the Heathrow Business Academy and can be contacted on 079821 04537
For further enquiries, contact the camp media team on 0777 286 1099 or 07858 177 178
For a photo of the teenagers on the roof, contact Mike on 07966 372 890
Camp Media
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