West Country Ecology
Iron Age hill fort faces destruction in Cornwall
25-08-2004 14:05
Eviction Alert - Two Mile Coppice, Weymouth
03-08-2004 17:56
We only just heard that there has been a camp set up, adjacent to the old teddy bear woods & pink castle site, Weymouth, Dorset. The eviction hearing is on Thursday. Read more | 3 comments >>
Sainsburys Blockaded Nationally [updated]
02-07-2004 13:54
Sainsbury's chilled food distribution centres were blockaded across the country on Thursday in protest against GM feed being fed to dairy cows. Sainsbury’s five biggest UK distribution centres were shut down as evironmentalists and consumers simultaneously blockaded the supermarket chain's chilled-goods depots in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield. They were chained together through steel tubes, or sat up scaffold tripods, blocking the depot gates. The co-ordinated action was intended to halt distribution of Sainsbury's dairy products that come from cows fed GM animal feed.
The protest follows Sainsbury’s failure to provide non-GM fed milk as standard, despite rivals like Marks and Spencer and the Co-op doing so. The action was taken in solidarity with farmers, demanding they get a fair deal of 2p on the pound for non-GM milk. The coalition of groups campaigning on this issue includes Farmers for Action, the Small and Family Farmers Alliance, The Small Farms Association, the Wholesome Food Association, the Institute of Science in Society, Genetic Food Alert and the Genetic Engineering Network (see GM animal feed campaign PDF). Also see National press release
Local reports: Birmingham report, photos and video | London
Yorkshire | Liverpool [ 1 , 2 ] and photos [1 | 2]
Bristol report and photos
Sainsbury's Essex Waltham Point Depot Blockade Report
See also Genetic Engineering Network
Latest news:
Cows leaflet shareholders are Sainsbury AGM - Monday 12th July
Store demo in Plymouth - Saturday 10th July
Farmers vist Welsh store - Saturday 10th July
Read more | 22 comments >>
Blackwood Tree Camps Evicted - Campaign Continues
23-03-2004 09:10
Early in the morning on Tuesday 23rd March, around 70 Police, Bailiffs and specialist climbers and tunnellers began evicting the tree camps at Blackwood in South Wales - where locals have been campaigning against a new road for over a decade [Pics]. Around 10 people were arrested as they resisted in the trees, on walkways, in nets and in a tunnel, some after breaching cordons. At Camp Kerry, one brave activist still remained at the end of the day, and was able to climb down without being arrested. Most of the trees were destroyed, but campaigners say they will continue to resist.
See Report and Pictures | 1 | 2
Also see collected reports (and pics): Bristol | UK
Evictions continued throughout Wednesday as Bailiffs cut people out of lock-ons and most of the remaining trees were destroyed. Some campaigners remain camped on private land next to the road route and are determined to continue opposing the road scheme. See Report | 2 | 3
Meanwhile in London an attempted eviction was also taking place in Kentish Town. At mid morning bailiffs arrived at several flats that have been home to a group of squatters for some months. Some of the occupiers took to the roof, whilst a crowd of around 100 people gathered in the road in front of the building.
Read more | 4 comments >>
GM Debate? The People Speak
19-07-2003 21:39
During the last six weeks, unknown to most people, there have been a series of public debates up and down the country about whether the government should allow the commericalisation of GM crops in the UK. The deadline for public input is now over - did you have your say?
In an exclusive film made for Indymedia, people from all over the country reveal that the public consultation was a poorly advertised, ill concieved and miss-managed farce that failed to engage ordinary people. The film also demonstrates that much of the public believe that the decision has already been made to push ahead with GM (regardless of the will of the people) and that the government is an undemocratic tool of U.S. interests and big business.
Read more | 2 comments >>Arundel - a tale of two by-passes
27-06-2003 00:00
Bypassing the existing bypass, it would cross the important River Arun wetlands south of Arundel on concrete stilts or a huge embankment, and then plough through a mile of precious Sussex woodland. Thousands, probably tens of thousands, of trees would be lost, including some fine 100 foot oak trees, yews, and one particular 100 foot beech tree, thought to be the oldest tree in the woods.
Protestors are meeting on Sunday 29th June for a walk along the proposed bypass route. Meet at 2pm outside the 'Red Lion' Pub, High Street Arundel. Read more | 2 comments >>
Contaminated GM News
30-08-2002 22:09
The Pink Castle protest stops GM trial
19-06-2002 09:44
Tirade against Trident
05-02-2002 11:03
Numerous times before we have seen that when people feel strongly enough about something, they can make a difference. Those people may have gone away having made connections that will change their own lives and help to create a better future. The protest came just a week before the planned Big Blockade at the Trident submaring base is Faslane. Read more >>
West Country Ecology Feature Archive >>
