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photostory of climate camp police raid

climate camper | 01.08.2008 11:27 | Climate Camp 2008 | Climate Chaos | Repression

Yesterday evening over 100 police officers ransacked the Camp for Climate Action site. Items essential to the health and safety of the camp were removed, including pipes for the delivery of fresh water. Two people were arrested and three pepper sprayed while resisting the raid.

police vans drive on to site
police vans drive on to site

people form a human chain to try and stop them
people form a human chain to try and stop them

police start confiscating things
police start confiscating things

this plumbing is obviously a threat to public safety
this plumbing is obviously a threat to public safety

essential tools are confiscated
essential tools are confiscated

campers try to negotiate with police in vain
campers try to negotiate with police in vain

campers start using direct action instead
campers start using direct action instead

tug of war over esential plumbing
tug of war over esential plumbing

you are SO not taking our wood
you are SO not taking our wood

wood is safely returned to the kitchen after the woodpile occupation
wood is safely returned to the kitchen after the woodpile occupation


Activists dove under police vans and formed human chains to prevent them from getting on site, and people scrambled up the double tripods – but campers were outnumbered 3 to 1 by the police.

Although police claimed to be searching for materials that could be used on the 9th August day of action, they also seized items such as guy-ropes for safely securing marquees, radios used in medical emergencies, and building materials essential for the construction of compost toilets. The seizures went as far as the confiscation of such ridiculous items as a bicycle repair kit, three board games and a pack of children's crayons.

But the real stand off took place over water pipes and wood for the kitchens. In a twist of supreme irony, as the council dug a pipeline to deliver fresh water, activists had to engage in a tug of war with the police to keep the water pipes on site – which they did successfully. And as the police brought in a flat-bed lorry to remove wood for the kitchens, activists climbed onto the woodpile and prevented it from being taken away.

As the police gave in and the lorry drove away, a cheer went up and campers immediately formed a human chain to carry the wood up to the kitchens. Unfortunately, there is for the time being a small police presence on site.

Everything is now calm on site, but the raid has put the set-up back by half a day, so more people on site are needed to get the camp ready for this Sunday. The big push will be happening over Friday and Saturday as the majority of materials arrive, and there's plenty of work to be done – so come on down!




climate camper
- Homepage: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Comments

Display the following 8 comments

  1. People should start getting down there now! — poster
  2. needs support but lets keep the bigger picture in mind — another camper
  3. article on BBC — webwatcher
  4. cleaner — oi yoi
  5. @ oi yoi — MonkeyBot 5000
  6. cops fighting activists for piping — fitwatch
  7. Statistics — PRoS II
  8. 20% cleaner? — Matthew