Home | 27th October 1995 | Issue 46

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! THE WORLD IS UNDER ATTACK!

SchNEWS

CODI ETO
YN Y CWM!

THE VALLEYS RISE AGAINST OPENCAST MONSTER

Anti-open-cast mine activists were last night holding out, five days into a tree-top battle in Brynhenllys, South Wales, to stop a monster development that will gauge a hole visible front space out of the heart of the Welsh valleys.

Scores of bailiffs, climbers and security hired by Celtic Energy - who stand to make millions from the 'wanton destruction' - have so far failed in their high-risk attempt to evict all the protestors dangling from walkways and makeshift platforms high up in the trees. Watching the chainsaws flying from below are local residents who have been fighting the proposals for 14 years. They've been joined by children on half-term holiday, while police - backed up with a helicopter - and sheriff's men stand guard. Bailiffs stand accused of endangering lives - cutting walkways 40ft in the air with people still on them, and chainsawing the branches of a Corsican Pine from above the heads of protestors clinging on.

One local resident, Nigel Faulkner, told SchNEWS: "Their behaviour has been appalling, putting life and limb at risk, while the decency of the protestors has been a hallmark of the week - they are brilliant people battling every inch of the way."

Brynhenllys Open-Cast, a mind-boggling 770 acres and 200m deep - twice the size of Glastonbury Festival - will be the second largest open-cast site in Europe. The largest by a fraction will be at Selar Nature Reserve near Cwmgwrach, just fifteen miles away, where another troop of tree-dwelling protestors are bracing themselves for possible eviction on Monday.

These two vast holes will wipe out 880 acres of lush watermeadow, ancient oak woodland and a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the home of the protected Marsh Fritillary butterfly and nesting places of Peregrine Falcons, and remote wilderness of oaks, beech, ash and , me. A fifth of the development is in Brecon Beacons National Park. Property prices have plummeted as the landscape is ravaged and asthma rates expected to soar. Dr Mark Temple, writing in The Lancet reported 30% more sufferers amongst residents at another nearby open-cast site. "Once the ecology has been destroyed it's gone forever." "There are already signs of desertification from previous mining, according to a visiting professor from Algeria" said a spokesman for Wales Against Opencast.

Even police and security are in revolt. Over forty people have been arrested for Public Order offences this week but released with out charge - and without bail conditions, freeing them to continue the protest. Dyfed Police have shown their feelings by virtually working to rule, and have been, in the words of one activist, "brilliant". The private company Reliant Security, well known from the No M11 Link Road campaign - have been bussed in from London to deal with the protests. But many have left in disgust at conditions forcing them to work 34hr shifts with no food or accommodation. On Tuesday night both protestors and security were forced to share the only shelter in the area - the Long Barn - creating the bizarre situation of sitting round the same fire and sharing chips! "Most of the security are being used as slaves. They are predominately black immigrants who don't know why they are here," said one protestor.

Local valley communities such as Brynhenllys and Cwmgwrach have been devastated by the closure of all the deepcast mines in Wales. Closed, they were told, because there was no demand for coal. But a week after Tower Colliery, the last pit in Wales, was shut the application was put in for Selar! Tower has since re-opened as a workers co-op employing 300 men and making a healthy profit. The Selar site is only 3 miles away from Tower and could be deep-cast mined creating a further 300 jobs instead of the unskilled handful the open-cast mine will create. Even a Public Inquiry over Brynhenllys found against the proposal but this was overturned and the project rubber-stamped by the Welsh Office. "We exhausted the legal process utterly and direct action was the only option left. It's been fantastic in fostering a new community spirit," one Brynhenllys resident told SchNEWS.

EVICTION LATEST
Brynhenllys. May hold out for weekend, attempt to set up new site in woodland.
Selar .... Bets are on for Monday but could be delayed for months. Ring first:

Wales Against Opencast 01685 873993 / 01639 830553 * Cardiff EF! 01222 383363

HELP! Eviction fatigue setting in. If you can't get there yourself - spread the word! To get to BRYNHENLLYS, find YSTALYFERA on a map then head for CWMTRCH. To get to SELAR, from Port Talbot on M6 turn off to GLYNEATH, then turn off at CWMGWRACH and BLAENGWRACH. Camp is half a mile up EMPIRE AVENUE. There is regular transport between the two sites (15 miles apart).

crap arrest of the week

* A footie fan who writes the Brentford fanzine was nicked whilst trying to pass a train ticket to a friend who was being arrested. Dragged to the floor, put in an armlock and told by Mr. Plod "Come and 'ave a go if you fancy it mate"! He was charged with another CJA catch-all "intentional harassment, alarm and distress".

* For not moving a van, after police had confiscated the ignition keys. This one happened at the Reclaim the Streets in Manchester last Saturday.

INSIDE SchNEWS - 1st CJA PRISONER?

A road protestor from the Flat Oak Tribe could be the first person in the country to be jailed under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) - ironically a year to the day since it became law.

Davtd Hilton (Iggy) has been remanded at Canterbury prison for a further two weeks while a Probation Report is prepared. He has already spent eight days inside on remand after being nicked for "aggravated trespass" (for the second time) and breaking his bail conditions by jumping into a cement mixer at the Thanet Way in Kent. He has said in previous court cases that he does not recognise the CJA and is therefore unable to abide by its bail conditions - which thanks to the Act are now set by the police - and in Iggy's case stated he was 'not to obstruct any lawful activity on the Thanet Way'.

Some of the reasons given for further imprisonment included - it is for his own protection, he was putting his own life and others at risk and that his offences are "serious"! He will be sentenced next Friday (3rd November) at Canterbury and there will be a big demonstration outside the court 9.30am. In the meantime please send letters of support to David Hilton LW 0848 HMP Canterbury, 46 Longport, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1PJ.

* On the Saturday (4th) there will be a "Reclaim The Land" action in Canterbury. A party will be held on a public green space which the Council want to close off and basically have no right to do so as it isn't theirs! 01227 463368

* Issue 16 of 'Taking Liberties' is now available. Produced by the London Anarchist Black Cross, it's an excellent and informative newspaper supporting prisoners struggles 40p + SAE from London ABC c/o 121 Railton Rd., London. SE24 0LR.

JIM CHAMBERS 'ghosted' to Isle of Wight, just weeks before he is due to be released. However he is back in court on November 7th where be is charged with criminal damage of police uniforms over an incident at Claremont Rd on Aug 2nd last year. JIM CHAMBERS 5344513 HMP Haphill, Newport, Isle of Wight

SchNEWS IN BRIEF

Good SchNEWS for once: plans for a National Forest that have been floating about for about six years, are actually about to be put into action. Farmers in the Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire area are being given grants to plant trees on the land, which is in shit nick because of clay extraction, open cast mining etc. The forest should eventually be the size of a county (distant future). Unfortunately, farmers are causing-a bit of fuss about public access and as usual, one of the main concerns is how the scheme can be made to generate money

*** 'They Call This Justice? is a new tape from Freedom Network with 90 minutes of cool music. To be the proud owner of ? copy, send £2.50 (payable to J. Fowers) to PO Box 7279, London E11 4TY

*** Four people from Manchester Earth First! were nicked yesterday for getting on the roof at the opening ceremony of a new Sainsburys. Originally charged with 'Breach of the Peace' they were kept overnight in the cells, and just before court, charges were charged under sections 68 and 61 of the CJA - the later section is aimed at travellers!

*** For all you sorted itinerants SQUALL (Autumn 95) is out now. £1.50+ 80 p&p from PO Box 8959, London, N19 5HW. Alternatively £10 will get you a years sub from one of the best mags around "Stoke it up!"

*** The Reclaim the Streets party in Manchester last week saw 600 people close a central shopping street for a few hours. The event highlighted Manchester's acute traffic problem, engineered by a council which has consistently moved to attract more cars into the city centre, despite it being Britain's most polluted city. Critical Massers cycled all the way from the Birmingham, Liverpool and Kendall to get to there (OK some of them ended up getting the train halfway). The only arrest was a crap one and the day ended peacefully - just not as early as the police were hoping for....

*** Reclaim the Streets Party in London this Sunday - meet at Paddington Station at 10am or ring 0956 300 676 after 10am for actual venue (and if you're heading from Brighton then meet 10am outside the old RSPCA building opposite the Level) - Critical Mass in Worthing Sat 4th Nov. meet 12 noon Steyne Gardens

*** Youth CND are going to see the de-test-able Jaques Chirac at Chequers on Sun Oct 29th and at the Foreign Office on Mon 30th. Info. on: 0171 700 2393

Black Moon soundsystem, the first people in the country to be charged under the rave sections of the CJA while preparing to play at The Mother, the big anti-CJA festy that never was. They've have had their trial adjourned a ridiculous number of times - the last one was cancelled because the police misplaced half the evidence! They now up in court at Corby magistrates on November the 2nd 10am. Turn up and give support. 01298 27475

and Finally

"Whatever your personal grievance, these days there's an action group that shares your view. And today action can take many forms. From lying down on busy roads (Reclaim The Streets) to doing nothing in the name of abolishing all waged labour (Brighton Autonomists)... For those who just want to protest, but don't know why, there are groups like Justice?, a self-styled 'Full-on rent-a-mob anytime, anyplace, anywhere!'. that offer action without demanding commitment. If you would like a fabby acronym and want to appear radical, then Workers Against Nasty Killings Especially Revolutionaries is the action group requiring only a commitment to 'pontificating and waiting for the mythical revolution'. And if even that's too much effort, there's always the option of blind faith in Bob- Church of the Sub-Genius, the only hope of saviour from the 'aliens too hideously ugly to describe' it claims are running the planet."Read all about these and other weird and wonderful groups in Justices? very own directory of active groups in the UK. £4 inc. p&p (Cheques payable to 'The Book') from the SchNEWS address below.

and Finally, Finally

DIFFERENT TIME, SAME SENTIMENTS: "The beggars, who had formerly obtained relief at the gates of the monasteries and convents, now wandered in crowds through the country, and by their numbers and importunities often extorted alms from the intimidated passenger. To abate this nuisance, a statute was enacted ... so whosoever 'lived idly and loiteringly for the space of three days' came under the description of a vagabond and was liable to the following punishment. Two justices of the peace might order the letter 'V' to be burnt on his breast, and judge him to serve the informer as his slave. His master was bound to provide him with bread, water, and refuse meat; might fix an iron ring round his neck, arm, or leg, and was authorised to compel him to "labour at any work, however vile it might be, by beating, chaining, or otherwise". If the slave absented himself for a fortnight, the letter 'S' was burnt into his cheek or forehead, and he became a slave for life." Vagrancy Act 1547

and Finally (no, really)

The latest campaign from the States is for a new ice-cream flavour with a difference! Stateside supporters of death-row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal have been writing to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (who donate a percentage of their profits to progressive causes) suggesting they create a Mumia flavour ice-cream and donate the profits to his defence campaign. Initial reaction suggests that Ben & Jerry, the firm's founders (who named the Cherry Garcia flavour after the Grateful Dead singer) are sympathetic to the idea - they sent a free ice-cream voucher to the person who wrote in and suggested it. Join the campaign, write to: Ben Cohn & Jerry Greenfield, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream, PO Box 240, Waterberry, VT 05676, USA, and pig out for freedom.

DISCLAIMER

The SchNEWS warns all readers not to attend any illegal gatherings or take part in any criminal activities. Always stay within the law. In fact please just sit in, watch TV and go on endless Xmas shopping sprees filling your home and lives with endless consumer crap. you will then feel content. Honest.

Next Justice? meeting Wed Nov 1st @ Unemployed Centre (Carlton Hill, behind AmEx) @ 7pm

SchNEWS Is Free to Prisoners - Just send us your address

Schrooooooooooooooms! (ritual not habitual) Happy Sahmain!

SchNEWS, PO Box 2600, Brighton, BN2 0EF, England
Phone: +44 (0)1273 685913
email: schnews@brighton.co.uk

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