> 09.00 -More than thirty climate activists and local residents this
> morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest
> ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)

> Climate campaigners from all over Wales(2) joined with local people from
> Merthyr Tydfil to evade police and security before taking over the 1,000
> acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. They have chained themselves to
> bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine and have
> unfurled large banners. They’ve pledged to prevent work on the site for as
> long as they can by climbing onto, and chaining themselves to the 1,300
> horsepower yellow diggers. The leading environmentalist and author,
> George Monbiot, is amongst their ranks.

> “Gordon Brown’s officials this week jet off to Balifor UN talks on
> cutting carbon emissions but at home they’re trying to drag us into a new coal
> age.”
>
>
>
> He added:
> “Coal is the filthiest fuel known to man and projects like this mine
> could
> destroy all our chances of tackling global warming. The battle over this
> hilltop in Walesis a fight for the stability of the global climate and it
> epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.” (3)
>
>
>
> Merthyr resident, Leon Stanfield, explained:
>
>
>
> “We’ve protested this mine in all the conventional ways. Now we’re
> turning
> to direct action as a last resort. This project is wrecking both the
> local
> and the global environment and is putting the health of our community and
> its children at risk.”
>
>
>
> Over 10,000 local people petitioned against the pit.
>
>
>
> MORE INFORMATION/INTERVIEWS:
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>
>
>
>

>
>
>
> Local resident spokesman: Terry on 07966 443 728
>
>
>
> Climate activists: 07786 923 083/ 07926 150 320/ 07941 751 929
>
>
>
> Professional pix: Will on 07967 948 145
>
>
>
> Professional footage: Paul on 07973 298 359