Ratcliffe Power Station 'Climate Swoop' 2

Tash [alan lodge] | 16.11.2009 13:20 | Climate Chaos | Energy Crisis

On Saturday 17th october, around one thousand climate activists had attempted to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station in Nottinghamshire, taking direct action with repeated breaches of the security fencing.

The action comes only weeks before the UN COP15 Climate Conference in Copenhagen, and follows the arrest of 114 activists in Nottingham for allegedly planning to infiltrate the power station in April.

Activists gathered in various points on Saturday morning, swooping on the power plant in separate groups to arrive at 1pm. Within five minutes they had already broken down one of the perimeter fences and several had entered the plant.

On Saturday night around 300 activists pitched tents in two camps outside the gates, despite attempt by police to intimidate campers by standing next to the campsite in full riot gear. The police have confirmed 58 arrests.

Natasha Blair from the Camp for Climate Action said: ‘We’ve achieved what we came here to do: to show that coal has no future and there is a growing movement which is prepared to take action on climate change."

Activists from around the world will meet in Copenhagen to finalist plans for similar actions during the UN climate talks taking place in December. The Camp for Climate Action has announced that they will be joining other activists in the 'Push for Climate Justice', which aims to take over the talks for a day.

Natasha Blair continued: "In the run up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen this December, acts of civil disobedience to confront big business and governments that are causing catastrophic climate change are gaining support."

Camp For Climate Action -

http://climatecamp.org.uk

Ratcliffe Power Station 'Swoop' [on Flickr]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tash/sets/72157622705168956

and ..... more on this issue at:

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/367714.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/367736.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/367757.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374448.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389467.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389535.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389654.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/392323.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392833.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395382.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395403.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395429.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395366.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395424.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413951.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414383.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/418610.html

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419126.html

____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:

tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________

Tash [alan lodge]
e-mail: tash@indymedia.org

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

Hmm... is it a good idea to publish these?

16.11.2009 16:48

Not sure it's a great idea to publish these photos when there are ongoing court cases involving people from these incidents.

And there's a wider issue, why do you as a journalist have the right to print these without the persons whose faces are in them permission? Some people can get in trouble with work etc. if seen at these things.

Stupid idea...

Journalist ethics

agree

16.11.2009 17:24

I'd be well pissed off if I was denying i'd even been there and my mug was in these shots. We have to watch out for each other and protect each other.

anon

if there is an image there you are not happy with make contact ask for it to be

16.11.2009 18:54

Go on a public demo knowing full well the media will be there then you are going to have your image taken, this was one of the better actions for climate change and there should be pride in yourself if you took part not shame it is simple do not take part in such an action if you desire not to have your image taken. Tash is well known and respected plus trusted his work has been an aid to people not a detriment and people should view it in this way and tuff shit, if there is an image there you are not happy with make contact ask for it to be removed bloody good work Tash and you know it respect from here some people are never happy also fail to understand the risk us photographic people take and the shit we get from the police along with protesters sometimes I feel as though one is FIT not to aid those protesting..

underclassrising.net

Mainly good

16.11.2009 19:49

Well down Tash, although I think the photos of people using wirecutters shoudnt be there. One thing that comes across is how useless our attempts to mask up are, given the quality of modern photos. Perhaps we need mask making workshops.

Voyere

Hmmm

17.11.2009 03:43

People knew the media were going to be in attendance and they knew that security cameras + police photographers would be there. If they didn't mask up and then committed a direct action they have to face the consequences of their choices.

There are already too many restrictions about taking photographs in public places, without rabid middle class activists complaining too.

A lot of people these days want to do something but don't fancy facing up the consequences. I'm afraid the world doesn't work like that. When you fight for your beliefs there are consequences and responsibilities, Nelson Mandela knew this when he was sent to prison but that does not mean he hid away and complained. If you pull down a fence in an effort to prevent climate change, thus damaging property you have to accept that leaving your identity uncovered has consequences.

A photographer

Masking up and message to photographers

17.11.2009 10:27

Firstly, I have a lot of respect for Tash - and the work he has done over many years, and this comment is not intended to detract from anything he has done.

However, I do think it is wrong to publish photos of easily identifiable people damaging fences. The publication of people committing criminal acts on Indymedia has nothing to do do with the freedom of photographers - and everything to do with the fact this is supposed to be an activist news resource. If the commentators here are so determined to publish photos of people committing criminal acts there is the whole world wide web for them to explore - they don't need to be posted on a website which is supposed to benefit activists, not to mention one which is regularly trawled by cops.

Photographers also have to realise they are going to get aggro from people committing illegal acts who don't want to be caught. If you're committing an offence which you could go to prison for, you're going to be a bit arsey if someone sticks a camera in your face. It's the same with any group of people undertaking illegal activities.

Finally, mask making workshops are not needed - what is needed is for people to take their anonymity seriously. People don't dress in black and wear masks because it looks scary, but because it makes it much harder for the police to prove they've committed any offence. Masking up with a random colourful scarf is better than nothing, but if you get caught with it, it is a distinctive piece of clothing.

Security Watch

How To Mask Up

17.11.2009 13:20

GOOD

TOTALLY USELESS

Here are two examples of how to mask up and how not to mask up.

Photographers should be challenged

17.11.2009 13:36

Hmmm... 'rabid middle class' activists hey? Very judgemental of people you don't even know. I'm not even going to bother engaging you with your arguement that people should face up to their 'actions' and be willing to get arrested. I juts hope it's not your photographs that help them get caught.

I know Tash, have talked to him over the years. But he is a photographer, and can make bad calls on publishing photos. To be honest I think of people that take photographs (as in that's what they do at actions/demos rather than take action and happen to have a camera with them) as some kind of other grouping - halfway between us and the police/security. Can be useful, can be get in the way and be a total liability and get people sent down - whoever they are, even long term known ones like Tash.

Which he kind of proves by publishing these photos on the web. Tash, take them down, and ask yourself why you put all these photos up and who they help. Cos it's not us, it's the cops...

Another concerned...

for f*8k's sake people...MASK UP

17.11.2009 15:18

people should be masking up, full stop. MASK UP.if you dont, you have your self to blame.

simple simon

to those rapeing this earth greed there are people going to defend it..

17.11.2009 16:21

We all make bad moves agreed, in this one I disagree there powerful images and send one clear message rape our earth in the name of profit and greed then there are people going to defend the earth from the actions of the few done in our name, it is simple people mask up, if there is an image you disagree with ask for it to be removed, if you are going to a mass action then understand there are going to be people there taking images and lets be frank there is nothing here that fit will not have got anyhow, the reason I do not attend and prepare to work with a cell of people I know in the form of the Alf, I fuck shit up more freeley and there is a lot to be said for such actions there empowering and send a very clear message, but I desire my liberty this means I fuck there shit up more and I have done my time in prison for ill thought out moves, been in mass court cases for ill thought out moves lessons learned and all that, I have been critical of climate protest in the past, this one brings me fucking joy and empowerment seeing the images I hope sends one clear message to those rapeing this earth for greed and profit there are people going to defend it..

underclassrising.net

ooh, aren't photographers a touchy defensive bunch....

19.11.2009 13:09

from your comments on this post!

You wonder why you get viewed negatively to varying degrees, when as soon as your actions are questioned, you get all aggressive and attack, saying it's protesters' fault, that's it's your god-given right, that it makes no difference, that you just have to accept the way the world is....etc blah blah. In fact, re-reading what some of you had said, your views are fucking disgusting and antagonistic and that's not going to help anyone next time you try and take an incriminating photo and get a broken camera instead.

Maybe when you get into being active for a better world, and protest, you start questioning things, start trying to change the way the world is... Well, if you're identifying yourself as unquestioningly on the side of the status quo...well, we know which side you're on!

That's not to say people shouldn't mask up, and properly....but your line of argument is disgusting. Would you say to someone that they deserved getting raped because of what they were wearing!

(Red herring corner: removing photos after they've been put up, putting them somewhere else instead, omnipresent cops have taken all photos possible, rabid middle-class....)

protester