It is believed that a demonstration was planned at the E.On powerstation at Ratcliffe-on-Soar as a spokesperson for the company claimed that it was the "planned target of an organised protest". The Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station is the 3rd largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and has been previously targeted by activists. Similar to past police actions, some of the homes of those arrested have been raided while they were held in custody. It has been confirmed that 6 homes have been raided in Nottingham, including the Sumac Centre, and personal paperwork and computers have been seized. Activists are now being released on bail, to appear in court between the 14th - 21st July, with a variety of conditions. More raids are expected.
The initial action was at a school / community centre in Sneinton Dale, and eastern suburb of Nottingham. After all present were arrested and dragged in chains to many and various police stations, the police mounted a long and protracted search of the building, where the meeting had been held. Nothing was happening on the street for ages, much to the medias discontent. Thus, they started to interview each other, and passing locals, just to add a bit of colour, of course. At about midday, there was a flurry of activity, with the arrival of more police vans, and scientific support / scenes of crime and assorted mystery vehicles. Taken together, this amounted to a really significant police presence. you can only image what sort of evidence, and of what, they expected to find. Wardens patrolled the street to reassure the community of course.
Access was really hard, to see anything occuring of interest. However, getting away from the front of the building were all others were filming from, managed to find a friendly local who offered me the use of their garden for an overview. Thanks muchly! Police didn't like it of course, and sent a man away to find a sheet of sommat, to hide behind.
The addressess of some of those held in custody, were then to be seached under warrant. While chasing about, I knew of 6 locations in Nottingham, and probably many others around the country. I was asked and invited to be at the Sumac Centre, ahead of the expected arrival of the police teams.
After visiting other locations, at about 6pm, three van loads of police dressed in full fatigues and large boots, arrived at the gates of the Sumac. The warrant was for particular room upstairs at the centre. The majority of the squad remained on the street. Police could clearly see, that this photographer found the imagery quite oppressive, and the inspector ordered all his troops, back into the vans. Was asked to look into the searches upstairs, to discover there was much interest in the persons paperwork, [including much study of that well known anarchist and subversive free sheet, SchNews]. They stayed for about 30 minutes, leaving with an assortment of papers, and a computer.
After some were released, folks headed back to the Sumac centre, to recuperate, and be fed and watered. A debrief. Crash spaces arranged and a deal of sympathy. On leaving, I found 2 police serials continued to cruise the area. I followed about for a bit [wondering what they're up to]. One then parked outside a housing co-op, and stayed about a bit, generally being menacing. This was one of the location of the previous house searches. They then paid particular interest at the continued comings and going from the Sumac Centre. I guess they're not finished yet.
Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid [Feature]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427421.html Nottingham Spring into Action :: Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station
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 Nottingham Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates
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 Nottingham Ratcliffe Power station Climate Action, The Judgement
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392833.html Nottingham Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices in Nottingham
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395382.html http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395403.html Nottingham Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices Surveillance and Specialist Equipment
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395429.html Nottingham Police Searches Houses After Arrests At E.On Blockade
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395366.html No case to answer after Notts E.On protest
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419126.html Nottingham Fossil Fools Take On E.ON In Nottingham [Feature]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395424.html Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station - The Beast
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/367757.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!!"
___________________________________________
e-mail:
Police uniforms & lapels
14.04.2009 18:17
If they are meant to be wearing numbers on their lapels, any ideas what to do about it? I would write to my MP, but I gather he's rather busy trying to work out if going into an MPs office means we're in a police state (we are, but mainly because the police are trying to shut down lawful protest and dissent, not because the police try to investigate if a law-maker broke the law himself), trying to justify voting for an illegal war, privatising everything (I'm amazed that more hasn't been made of Labour's recent plans to sell off (we called in privatising in the 80's) part of the Atomic Energy Agency -
Accountable
Heard on Trent police have changed their PRmessage,now its
15.04.2009 10:22
Rubbish, protesters would have stayed a day at most,maybe one or 2 might want to stay longer, but vunlikely.
They could have negotiated with a 2 dozen officers instead of 20 vans full plus reinforcements & all the detaining stations etc they took people too.
Stasi policing with the added spice of corruption-force from EON-RBS bosses on senior officers & politicians no doubt.
Green Syndicalist
Heard on Trent police have changed their PRmessage,now its
15.04.2009 11:14
Rubbish, protesters would have stayed a day at most,maybe one or 2 might want to stay longer, but vunlikely. They could have negotiated people out, Radcliffe has weeks of coal piled up, 2 dozen officers instead of 20 vans full plus reinforcements & all the detaining stations etc they took people too could have been used.
Stasi style policing with the added spice of word in ears from EON-RBS bosses on senior officers & politicians no doubt, probably Mr Brown himself.
"Superintendent Mike Manley said there is a substantial amount of evidence to go through which could take weeks or months." this usually means we wont find any evidence to frame anyone, but in a few months it all will hopefully have died down & the media will leave us to get on with helping keep dodgy toxic technology & banking systems going.
"About 200 officers swooped on the Iona School in Sneinton", meanwhile many dodgy smack dealers etc around nottingham had a field day,they must love you.
""Mick Taylor, chairman of Notts Police Federation, has rejected claims that the operation was a waste of police resources. He said: "The fact is, it was a very last-minute thing. "They cancelled a lot of people's bank holidays. The majority of officers did not know what they were going to do before they got there."", undoubtly some of the police look ashamed to be there, seargants just look childish & senior officers poker faced, compensation!!!!!!!
If someone doesnt claim for it with support, they will try it again & again, we cannot let history repeat itself in tragedy then sad farce as someone once said
Green Syndicalist
senior officers are suggesting trouble & danger to workers & protesters etc,v.va
15.04.2009 12:12
I know people who have worked at Radcliffe & other power workers who have specialised in safety on places like this& are annoyed by police tactics.
Protest@rs act v afely & as democractically as possible, these facilities have red buttons all over them, believe me Ive visited afew of them with professionals
Green Syndicalist
FFS
15.04.2009 20:04
Anti Troll Patrol
"anti troll patrol" at least I dont hide behind fake names 90% all of time
17.04.2009 08:21
Controversial maybe, I should get paid for it or do less, but then truth isnt always a valued commodity today
Green Syndicalist
For anti troll patrol
17.04.2009 12:25
I'm sure the people arrested have a far greater depth of knowledge of the subject than "senior police officers" and anti troll patrol put together. Would you know the difference between what is safety-critical and what is just an effective nuisance in a coal-fired power station? Thought not.
You seem to assume these people are incompetent idiots acting on emotion, rather than careful, analyticially thoughtful people acting rationally in a mad world. You might be best advised to avoid such projection.
Stroppyoldgit