Vestas shut their wind turbine blade factory on the 31st July. They were forced to pay an extra 10 days full pay to all workers (which pushed some into the 18 months time served required to get some redundancy money), after a number of workers occupied the offices of the factory.

The workers who occupied the factory were sacked and denied any redundancy money. They still haven't been paid any.

A supporters camp with kitchen, solar-powered campaign office and accomodation for dozens of activists was set up, and - until yesterday's eviction - had been the centre of campaign operations for four months. Supporters came from far and wide - around the Island, and Southampton and Portsmouth obviously, but also Brighton, London, Gloucestershire, Wales, Nottingham, and a visit from the workforce of Lush's factory in Poole. They also came from a variety of different politcal affiliations, SWP-ers to Climate Campers and anarchists, Workers' Liberty members to Climate Rushers, Lib Dem councillors to Socialist Party paper-sellers and domestic extremists. Some of the people were even in more than one of these categories, shock horror... (even more worrying, they sometimes got on...:-) )

The roundabout was also visited by the bands Seize the Day and Green Kite Midnight, Caroline Lucas MEP, Simon Hughes MP (lib dem energy and climate spokesperson), Bob Crow (RMT), but notably not the local MP Andrew Turner, or local council leader David Pugh.

The eviction meant the dismantling of the recently installed storm-strength kitchen, and the forced re-transplantation of several broad bean and winter lettuce plants.

Eviction was resisted, with an ex-vestas worker joining his second occupation, this time atop said kitchen.

The was one arrest. No news on bail/charge yet.

There are some more photos here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/36037716@N08/

and reports on the local independent news blog here:  http://ventnorblog.com/topic/vestas-sit-in/