Page Content | Events
Features
Newswire
Publish
Links
Regions
Other IMCs
Search
Leeds Bradford IMC | UK IMC | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

(((i))) Leeds Bradford

Read It. Write It. DO IT!

Drax29 - climate activists on trial

marker | 29.06.2009 14:16 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Energy Crisis | Repression

Last June, 29 people stopped a train loaded with coal that was heading
for Drax power station. Today their trial began at Leeds Crown Court.







Drax power station is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions in the British Isles. There is overwhelming evidence that carbon dioxide emissions are the cause of climate change which is already causing environmental devastation across the globe [0]. Unless carbon dioxide emissions are massively and urgently reduced, climate chaos is likely to lead to an irreversible collapse of the Earth's ecosystem.

Today emergency health warnings were being broadcast about the latest potentially fatal heatwave to hit the UK [1].

The UK government and power industry have dragged their feet throughout efforts to bring emissions down to safe levels, or even to reduce their rate of growth. Despite decades of reassurances from government and industry, the UK is producing more emissions now than ever. In the face of this global emergency, it's a source of great hope (perhaps our only hope) that a small but growing number of people are willing to take matters into their own hands at great personal risk.

The "Drax 29" are twenty-nine ordinary people who took direct action against the fossil fuel madness last summer. As was widely-reported at the time [2] [3] [4] [5], they stopped a train-load of coal on its way to the power station.

The defendants are unable to discuss the bizarre strictures imposed on their defense until after the trial. They arrived by bicycle at Leeds Crown Court today. A large crowd gathered outside to show their support, with banners saying, "Burning coal is killing us," "Stopping climate change is not a crime," and "Drax power station kills 180 people per year."

One of the people who came to show their support said, "Direct action is the only option left, everything else has been tried and failed. What people need to understand is that this is an emergency."

The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.


[0] United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
 http://www.ipcc.ch/

[1] NHS: Heatwave amber alert
 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwaveamberalert.aspx

[2] Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2008/06/401022.html

[3] Pictures from Drax train action
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2008/06/401011.html

[4] Guardian: Climate change protesters hijack coal train
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/13/activists.climatechange

[5] BBC: Climate protest halts coal train
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7452395.stm

marker
- e-mail: marker {at} indymedia {dot} org

Additions

Support Drax 29 at Leeds Crown Court

29.06.2009 23:53

This is a call out for continued support each day outside the Crown Court in Leeds. Come down to the Crown Court from 9:30 to 10:30am with enthusiasm and support. Banners will be provided!

Public support of climate activism is an essential part of keeping climate change on the agenda.

As the case will depend on the jury's opinion please dress accordingly. If you actually want to go into the court room try and come smartly dressed!

support


Comments

Display the following 5 comments

  1. Come on 00s they even named Drax after a James Bond baddy,help give — green syndicalist
  2. What prosecuting counsel said — Nobody
  3. What is going on here?! — katy
  4. Different Offence — Green Man
  5. Green man — Katy

Write It
Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Search

The Common Place - Leeds The 1 in 12 club - Bradford The Trades Club - Hebden Bridge

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech