A lively picket of the Cardiff HQ of British Gas took place over the weekend initiated by supporters of the People before Profit Charter and supported by socialists, trade unionists, young greens, welsh language activists and others. Here's a quick report:

FREEZE PROFITS NOT PENSIONERS was the red-hot demand we took to the Gas Barons over the weekend. Our angry protest forced British Gas on to the defensive, with their PR team going into overdrive phoning, faxing, emailing and visiting local media. They claimed that they were doing everything possible to help poorer customers - except giving up on obscene profits by reducing bills, of course...

Speaking at the protest, Leanne Wood AM called for a windfall tax on profits, but argued that the gas companies needed to be re-nationalised to prevent people being at the mercies of the profiteers, "Public ownership would mean lower bills".

She also reported, "British Gas are clearly worried. I received a letter from them last Thursday, asking me to withdraw my support for the protest. They claim that the domestic arm of the business has not made any profits and that they have a number of schemes to help people in fuel poverty. They also claimed to be concerned about the safety of their workforce."

A similar letter was sent to the National Campaigns Secretary of Cymdeithas (The Welsh Language Society) and other prominent backers of the protest.

The demand for public ownership was echoed by Ramon Corria, Secretary of Cardiff's Trades Council who reminded us that our quarrel was not with those working for British Gas, but rather with the people who owned and ran the gas companies.

A moment of hilarity occurred when a woman from a company in competition with British Gas turned up with a pile of fliers trying to convince protesters to sign up to her company. She didn't hang around for very long when she realised that this was a protest against all the gas profiteers.

Rounding off the protest, Adam Johannes from Left Alternative (formerly Cardiff Respect) referred to working class people being literally mugged by "rip-off merchants like British Gas, who are making billions off the backs of working people."

Calling for direct action to defend workers who might have their supply cut off, he ended by saying, "They nationalise to bail out bankers and the rich, but we believe in nationalisation to raise up the living standards of working people.The Gas Barons are only powerful because we are on our knees. Let us rise!"