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Blackwood Update 17/2/2004

road alert | 17.02.2004 13:50

WE ARE STILL HERE-WE ARE CONSOLIDATING THE CAMPS AND PROTECTING MOST OF THE ANCIENT WOODLAND DIRECT ACTION IS WORKING HERE BUT WE NEED HELP NOW. WORK IS GOING ON ON OTHER PARTS OF SITE- COSTAIN ARE TRASHING TREES WE CANT PROTECT COS OF LACK OF NUMBERS INCREASED NUMBERS OF BAILIFFS/ COSTAIN NOW MAKING IT HARD TO STOP WORK UNLESS WE HAVE NUMBERS (SORTED POSSE STOPPED WORK MONDAY BUT TRASHING CONTINUING THIS MORNING 17.2.04) MORE MACHINERY ARRIVING ON SITE. DORMICE AND BAT HABITATS PROTECTED UNDER EU LAW MAY STILL SAVE BLACKWOOD. CPO NOW TO DECIDE IF THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROSECUTE COSTAIN DUE TO ALREADY TRASHED HABITAT. EVER- INCREASING LOCAL SUPPORT THIS IS STILL WINNABLE!!

CARRY ON CAMPING
Ok, there are now two camps established (Kerry and Jordan!!!) in st davids wood (blackwood) which are on wooded land which is due to be trashed but is just on the other side of the boundary which Costain have injuncted us from. This is land which Costain did not compulsorarily purchase, (so is not covered by the "harry potter"; injunction) though for some reason they still have the right to trash the trees on this land for their easement strip. In any case there are walkways and the beginnings of proper tree dwellings on Costain's land as well as on the non- CPO-d side. Confused? Get down here and find out more!!!!

Unless they pull a fast one and do a sneaky eviction as NUMBERS ARE LOW it is cautiously safe (famous last words) to assume that the camps are safe for now- so we need to take this opportunity to consolidate these camps and put up more defences in the woods. Until the dormice are evicted Costain cannot touch much of the ancient woodland- if we can hold it all off till bird nesting season starts then they are stuffed.

WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME AND TRAIN PEOPLE IN CLIMBING TECHNIQUES AND HOW TO PUT UP WALKWAYS AND TREEHOUSES.

The site is now a mix of rapidly burning out local experienced activists (who have lives too, believe it or not) staying on site and coming and going, and an amazing amount of local teenagers and younger activists, who are mostly completely new to this but doing great stuff. This is an opportunity to blat down and pass on your skills and experience, and the climbing tat that doesn't fit you anymore, to a new generation before going back to warm houses jobs and kids! Or an opportunity to lunch your life out (heh heh) and do it all again IT IS VERY INSPIRING HERE AND IT'S WINNABLE, HONEST!!!! The locals are clued- up and massively supportive.
Ps we think that the human rights act article 8 would trump the harry potter injunction if we ever get sued.

DAYS OF ACTION

You don't have to come and camp. Small affinity groups blatting down and stopping work for the day is going to absolutely STUFF Costain, who are fast hiring more machinery and manpower to carry on working. Due to burly bailiffs, unless numbers are over a critical mass it is impossible for us to stop work now - we need help from local action groups to coordinate a day of action rota. It's a race against time who gets their act together quickest them or us. Direct action can hold up work while the wrangling over the EU protected habitats continues. Bad publicity, strong local opposition, the dormice and bat habitat issues, and the cost of dealing with direct action could all mean that Costain withdraw.

CONTACT DETAILS: phone 07952 774525/ 07708 420 446

BASIC DIRECTIONS- bus to blackwood from Cardiff. St davids wood visible on skyline on right hand side of valley (if coming from Cardiff- on left hand side if coming from the north) it's a 15 min walk from blackwood high street see directions below. Driving- along high street, find the Asda on right hand side of road-take back road straight on at a couple of roundabouts- find the rock and fountain pub, take road up the hill past the pub up to old railway line. Walk along track follow the yellow jackets trail of destruction, camps on the right in lovely trees. Better directions exist on other postings but its not that hard to find honest!

road alert
- e-mail: info@roadalert.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.roadalert.org.uk

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Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Blackwood Latest

17.02.2004 16:56

latest news from site this lunchtime local kids /teenagers sat in the road in
the way of new machines (cherrypicker apparently) driving onto site. bailiffs
got heavy chucking them out of the way oulling them around. teenagers saying its
their woods apparently one of the chainsaw blokes started crying when one girl got in his
way.

tree climbing bloke spotted in woods eyeing up rapidly increasing defences -
might they steam in and take us by surprise?
people needed to help build defences (tree platforms) and/ or help local youth
stop work asap
branches been chopped off trees near camp
alex
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cardiffanarchists/message/1356

Rowan


Legal advisor wanted

17.02.2004 17:21

Just spoken to them, the police were called when all that was going on and they'll be looking at the videos and photos that were taken, so hopefully something will be done.
Luckily there were people with camers there at the time, but they are asking for a Legal Observer with camera asap, to stay as long as possible in case the abuse carries on....

AND MORE PEOPLE!

It's getting more difficult as the few who are there are obviously VERY tired now and need help from people who know the ropes.

The residents have been great but there's not enough people to train them in the basics.

Rowan


Latest - tues 17th

17.02.2004 17:44

Latest from Alex  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cardiffanarchists/message/1356

"latest news from site this lunchtime local kids /teenagers sat in the road in the way of new machines (cherrypicker apparently) driving onto site. bailiffs got heavy chucking them out of the way oulling them around. teenagers saying its their woods apparently one of the chainsaw blokes started crying when one girl got in his way.

tree climbing bloke spotted in woods eyeing up rapidly increasing defences - might they steam in and take us by surprise?

people needed to help build defences (tree platforms) and/ or help local youth stop work asap branches been chopped off trees near camp"

I've just spoken to them, the police were called when all that was going on and they'll be looking at the videos and photos that were taken, so hopefully something will be done.
But they are asking for a Legal Observer with camera asap in case it carries on.

AND MORE PEOPLE!

It's getting more difficult as the few who are there are obviously VERY tired now and need help from people who know the ropes.

The residents have een great but there's not enough people to train them in the basics.

via alex


locals stop work at blackwood

18.02.2004 21:13

18.2.04 For the second day running locals together with activists from the camps have stopped work at Blackwood, out- numbering bailiffs and Costain workers and sending the chainsaws packing. The involvement of local people in the active defence of the site is a crucial development- these people deserve our support!!
Presence of video cameras ensured bailiffs behaved themselves today, after spending the day before roughing up local kids sitting in the way of machinery. According to people on site, in one particularly bad incident a bailiff punched a minor in the stomach- an event photographed by a local man. Nice to know that Costain and Caerphilly council are prepared to let thugs trash teenagers in order to get their filthy road built.
Machinery continues to be operated on route (when we aren’t stopping it), though most of the beautiful wood remains untouched due to aforementioned presence of dormice, bats, protestors and other enemies of the state. Well- substantiated rumours abound that Costain/ the bailiffs may try to steam in early one morning if numbers are too low, meaning that mid –week site sitting is a massive priority. We are still buying time here, but desperately need more sorted people to come and build defences- the camps are still mostly ground, not tree- based- and to HELP STOP WORK.
Daily positive developments on the protected habitat/ legal/ EU side of things as well (see previous postings)- these habitats can be saved!!! Direct action is continuing to work here- the camps are growing daily- more visitors from near and far.
PLEASE HELP NETWORK THIS INFORMATION
Site phones 07952 774525/ 07708 420446

usual suspect


I was there today with three others from Bristol

18.02.2004 22:47

Four of us from Bristol got there today to assist. I'm sure that even a few extra bodies makes all the difference.

frank


Court Date for Blackwwod

19.02.2004 18:45

They, 'Persons Un-named', have just been served papers to appear next Tuesday 24 Feb 2pm at Blackwood Magistrates.

If anyone can get there for moral support it would be much apreciated :)



And today's update - They've reached the big trees!
More people needed URGENTLY!!

Rowan


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