Around a hundred people turned up to the demonstration organised at short notice by the Campaign Against Climate Change (CCC) following the decision by some workers at Vestas Blades to occupy the factory. Speakers included CCC National Coordinator Phil Thornhill, Darren Johnson from the Green Party, Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes and representatives from the PCS, Unison, Workers' Climate Action (WCA) and others supporting the Vestas workers.

Speakers condemned the actions of the police on the Isle of Wight who have been aggressively policing the occupation and preventing supporters taking food to the workers in the factory.

The attitude of the government to the workers at Vestas was contrasted to the incredible amounts of public money given to support the banks.

Simon Hughes gave a very assured and theatrical speech but was the subject of vigorous heckling when he stated that nationalisation was not the answer for Vestas, making it clear he wanted to see the workforce or some other management being supported to take over the operation. At one point the meeting began to resemble the Radio 4 Today programme as he was repeatedly asked if he supported the occupation at by workers at Vestas and repeatedly gave a positive answer.

At the end of the event volunteers tried to spell out the message 'SAVE VESTAS' with their bodies on the road outside the Department of Energy & Climate Change. As you can see from the photograph, it wasn't easy to read, but possibly Mr Milliband might have got the message from the rest of the event.Cynics among us might feel that the Ministry is more about promoting climate change than opposing it from some of the governments actions or failure to act so far.

A collection was taken at the meeting to support the workers. The WCA leaflet asks for donations, payable to Ryde and East Wight Trades Union Council, to be sent to: REWTUC, 22 Church Lane, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33, and for messages of solidarity and offers of practical support to  savevestas@googlemail.com