Home | 22nd March 1996 | Issue 66 | PDF

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER UNCOMPROMISING...

600 NICKED AT NEWBURY!

An astonishing 600 people have been arrested since the Third Battle of Newbury road protest began ten weeks ago. More than one hundred have been nicked in the last six days, including 35 yesterday.

Many people, already arrested two or three times, remain defiant and face months in jail if they cop it again. Most are charged for the new 'crime' of 'aggravated trespass' under the Criminal Justice Act. Others are done under obscure ancient laws. Police have been so keen that on some days protestors have filled all police holding cells at Newbury, Andover, Basingstoke and even 60 miles away in Milton Keynes.

But Under-Sheriff Nick Blandy, in charge of the evictions, said this week: "These protestors don't know how lucky they are. We could be using CS Gas. In less tolerant countries they would machine-gun them from trees."

This week most of the camps at Great Pen Wood were evicted using the mercenary climbers ostracised by the British Mountaineer's Association. But the tallest tree on the 9-mile route at Reddings Copse stood firm. On Wednesday bailiffs, using the largest platform machine in Europe, went for the l20ft Scot's Pine but an Oak tree felled nearby smashed into its control panel with one bough then landed on a climber. He has a suspected broken neck. Blandy, eating a sarnie, ignored it.

Most of the clearance work has happened. As the warmer Spring weather arrives, the final battles are about to be fought. Rickety Bridge camp faces eviction after court on Tuesday. There's Camelot, home to druid Arthur Pendragon and his cohorts, and, of course, the Scot's Pine. Other one-tree camps are dotted around. Solidarity actions continue across the country.

Third Battle-o-meter

WEEK :10
WORK DAYS: 46
ARRESTS: 609
CASUALTIES: 64
CAMPS EVICTED: 17
LEFT: 9
ACRES FELLED: 111 (of 358)

Kennet Eviction

13/3/96
I'd first walked down the beautiful Kennet River bank in the Summer when the Bypass was given the go-ahead and the first tree-houses went up. I remember the elation in the Autumn when the Mothership landed. Straddling six tree-trunks with enough floorspace to do two forward rolls, Europe's biggest tree-house was a magnificent feat of building work. (It was named after a song by pop icon Julian Cope. Cope had arrived at the camp in January, unaware. "Wow! That was named after a song by me?") The place thrived through a bitterly cold winter. Today. up in the tree-house, was definitely Spring.

4.30am.WAKE UP! WAKE UP! AROOOGA!

The tree-top village gets up very, very fast. Wild rumours fly. It's still dark. no-one can see anything. They've never attempted a pre-dawn raid. Someone hits the air-raid siren which rings the alarm from Castle Wood to The Chase. The walkway link with the other side has gone. It's not even first light.

5.15am. Climbers on the riverside. The police have thrown a cordon several hundred-strong round the camp, doing the job of the security who haven't yet arrived. Protestors take positions, 'clink, clink', across the treetops.

6.30am Jeers drown out Under-Sheriff Nick Blandy's important eviction announcement. He looks at his important clipboard. He looks so damn small from up here. The chainsaw gangs fire up. The Sheriff's climbers are in the trees.

9.20am After nearly 3 hours of heart-stopping drama the first man is brought down. One woman is clinging to branches 80ft high as the climbers snatch at her heels. A line is thrown across from another tree and she ties it on and escapes in spectacular commando-style across the sky.

11.29am. The Cat & Mouse game is proving fruitless. No-one gets picked. In one tree the small huddled figure of a young girl wrapped head to toe in a pink blanket sits motionless, freezing but dignified. Hooded, faceless, she reminds me of an Ewok. (She stays all day. solid as the trunk, a tower of strength.) Enter the forces of darkness. Sheriff's Officers, dressed as Storm troopers in full black riot gear. head for The Mothership. The Skywalkers shout encouragement to those locked-on inside. Only George Lucas, or indeed anyone with a camera, is nowhere to be seen. I can see through the foliage, in the distance, lots of people shouting and waving. I listen to the megaphone pleas from the locals: "I've lived here all my life. I was born here," shouted one, her Home Counties accent breaking up with emotion. "What you are doing is sick. You are criminals." The crowd start chanting: "Scum. Scum. Scum. Scum."

2:30pm Crash! The Mothership is still being dismantled. Possessions cascade into the mud. Some security guards pick through the debris for pathetic bonuses to top up their £3-an-hour job. It makes you sick for humanity. The climbers are still being out-manoeuvred at every step. The protestors rally. but the tension is relentless. Someone shouts, not for the first time, "Gaia is behind us 200%!". Moments later Gaia appears, as if by magic, as a young deer running through the devastated Matchstick Land below, past the idle fluorescent patches of police and security. There are cheers. There's maybe a dozen people left in an island of fifty trees.

4:30pm After 12 hours of buzzing chainsaws, the assorted forces give up and leave us to the massacre. People cry uncontrollably. tears streaming down painted faces. I'm dumbstruck. It's difficult to comprehend the loss. Not just the loss, forever, of an idyllic piece of English Countryside. Not just a Site of Special Scientific Interest. For the last year these trees were homes. The protestors, a community. People lived here. Goodbye sweet Kennet and a curse on all those who made you fall.

Wot U Can Do

* GET THERE! Transport London 0171 281 4621 Brighton 01273 685913 Getup the trees or you can stay at the Visitor's Camp or PP3 (Family Camp) which are safely off-route. Ask the office for a free copy of 'My First Little Book of Peaceful Direct Action', and a map.
* JAM THE COURTS! Turn up at daily trials
* WRITE TO: Daniel 'Swampy' Needs on remand at HMP Bullingdon. PO Box 50. Bicester, Oxon 0X6 0BR
* UPDATES: Call Third Battle 01635 45544

CS GAS KILLS

CS Gas has claimed its first victim - just 17 days since it was issued. Ibrahima Sey, 29, was arrested by officers from Forest Gate police station, following a disturbance at his home. He volunteered himself for arrest and was taken to Ilford police station then ferried to King George Hospital, Ilford where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Piara Powar of the Ibrahima Sey Memorial Campaign said: "Why was a peaceful, religious man handcuffed, beaten and then sprayed with a highly toxic substance whilst in the confines of a police station? The police have consistently assured the public that CS spray would be used only as a last resort of restraint and only then when an officer's life is under threat. How can the police possibly justify the use of CS spray in this instance?"

Sey's brother, Fatou, said: "The authorities say my brother died from heart disease. There is absolutely no history of heart disease in our family and Ibrahima was a fit and healthy man. We believe he was murdered by the police." CS gas has been used over 29 times since it was issued - that's once a day.

The spray was issued to more than 2,000 officers in 16 authorities in England and Wales at the beginning of March for a six month trial. Five times stronger than that used in the USA, German police have refused to use it, while forces in France and Belgium have expressed a desire to curtail its use. Symptoms caused by the gas include severe stinging to the eyes, nose and throat. skin blistering, severe coughing and chest tightening that leads to impaired breathing. The effects last up to an hour.

A spokesperson from Liberty told SchNEWS, "Use of the spray causes acute stress, making those with heart conditions and high stress/bronchial problems particularly vulnerable".

A spokesperson from the Association of Chief Police Officers said "There is no evidence to suggest the CS spray contributed to this tragic death. There are no plans to suspend use of this spray, which has been used on more than 20 occasions so far and we are not aware of any cases of long-term adverse reactions."

However, one police inspector is suing for compensation after suffering burns to his eyes during a CS gas test in Northampton last summer, which led to trials being temporarily postponed. Sussex Police refuse to use the weapon after a copper suffered blisters on the eyes.

Mr Sey is the fourth Black person to die in police custody over the past year. In a UN report published last week the UK government comes in for a pasting over its failure to tackle racism, and questions the disproportionate number of members of ethnic minority groups who have died in police custody and that police often investigate these deaths themselves.

"The UN's comments on the government's failure to address racist attacks, police brutality, discrimination in employment, education, housing and criminal justice are right on target: racism in this country is institutionalised, widespread and routine" John Wadham, director of Liberty.

* Newham Monitoring Project 0181 552 6284

* This coming Saturday there will he a picket - organised by the Ibrahim Say Memorial Campaign - outside Forest Gate police station, nearest tube Upton Park, between 2-4 pm

* A man from Dyfed who claims he suffered a skin complaint after being sprayed in Wales has lodged a formal complaint.

PARTY & PROTEST

29-31 March - Sellafield Women's Peace Camp gathering 01706 371387

*** SAT 30th Glasgow Critical Massive Street Party George Square 1pm 01555 820555

*** Hands Off Our Water! No to privalisation! 11am Blythswood Square, Glasgow

*** Europe - wide day of action against TENS (Trans European Network)

*** Sound From The Ground + SchLive at Hanover Centre. Soutbover St., Brighton - benefit for local Green Party

*** Action to abolish the Grand National 0151 72603339

*** SUN 31st International Telepathy Day

*** 1-7 April - International Earth Nights -The Earth Liberation Front's annual April Fools Day bash of eco-nasties

*** THUR 4th No Live Animal Exports demo at Dover docks 8 am onwards.

DOPEY LAWS

Michael Marlow, a 51 year old disabled Gloucester musician has been jailed for twelve months for producing a grow-yer-own cannabis manual. The title, written under the pseudonym Maria Warner (say it slowly!), used common gardening techniques and is just one of 33 current titles available in the UK on the subject. He was charged for incitement under common law, for inciting others to commit a crime, despite the information being freely available throughout the world for many years. This is the first time a prosecution has been brought dealing with the publication of a book on cultivation methods. Liberty director John Wadham said: "It is very rare for anyone in this country to go to prison merely for what they write. It was the replacement of a disclaimer by a reasoned statement of intent that led to the charge. The judge has ordered all copies of the book to be destroyed. It will now be published in Holland with the disclaimer "Not for sale in the UK". The case is going to appeal.

After seizing his computer database, police went on to raid another 20+ homes. Michael is disabled and uses cannabis as a pain relieving agent. Barry Mason, friend of Marlow, commented: "Here we are at the end of the millennium and we are burning books! I said to the police "What are you trying to do, force us to go so organised crime?"

Prosecuting counsel Philip Brown called Marlow a crusader. Surely a man who reduces the profits of drug dealers is a hero? Marlow, in common with a growing number of people, believes cannabis should be decriminalised. Despite the Government's stated aim that it's intention is to target hard drugs, 83% of drug related arrests last year were cannabis related.

* The Cannabis Hemp Information Club's Museum and Information Centre in London looks set to open in early April Contact CHIC on 0171 613 5166 for details.

* Ecstacy and Amphetamine testing kits are now available, priced £14.50 from Pro-Test, The Warren, Stonewall Hill, Presteigne, POWYS L138 2HD

* Free The Weed! c/o PSI, BM Box PSI London WC1X 3XX - will pass on messages to Michael in prison and welcomes cash support.

* Legendary dealer Howard Marks will be talking at Megatripolis on Thursday in London.

* Mark Rowe (GE 3852) is currentiy banged up for three years for 'erb cultivation. Write to him at HMP The Verne, Portland, DORSET DTS 1EQ

INSIDE SchNEWS

LOTTA KRONLID VD0087, ANDREA NEEDAM VD0088, JO WILSON VDOO89 and ANGIE ZELTER VD0184 are still on remand for alleged criminal damage and conspiracy to commit criminal damage for writing off a £13 million Hawk jet destined for Indonesia. The 3 need your letters of support! - HMP Risley Prison, 617 Warrington Rd., Risley, Warrington, WA3 6BP. More info 0113 262 1534

* A week of action against BAe to protest at the proposed export of 24 Hawk to the Indonesian military regime takes place all next week including a 24 hour vigil outside the Foreign Office in Whitehall 0171 561 1236

* DAVE HAMMOND and ROBIN WEBB are appearing in Lewes Crown Court, East Sussex at 10 am this coming Monday (25th) charged with possession of a shotgun without a licence. Yet another attempt to stitch-up the perceived 'leaders' of the ALF. Show your support by demonstrating outside the court.

* Two peace activists were sentenced to 11 months in prison last week for entering California defence plant and damaging two Trident missiles with hammers during Hiroshima Day (7th August) causing $385,000 worth of damage. The Jesuit priest and school teacher had already spent seven months inside awaiting trial and sentencing. After the release they will be placed on two years supervision. The judge offered them to serve their time out of prison under electronic monitoring, but they both declined.

and Finally

Various beef-eating jelly brained Mad Ministers are showing obvious signs that the BSE incubation period was over a long time ago "Humans do not get 'Mad Cow Disease" claimed John Major in Oct '95. Mooooo! NOT TRUE. The government admitted yesterday that 'Mad Cow Disease' can be transmitted to humans. Even the government's own spokesman on Mad Cow Disease Prof. John Pattison warned that Britain could face 'a very large epidemic' of Mad Cow Disease with 'half a million victims a year.' Dr Steven Dealer of the BSE research campaign predicted that by the year 20l8 the British could have eaten 1.8 million Mad Cows, and by the year 2010 as many as 10 million people would be struck down by CJD (the human form of BSE - always fatal). Shit! More on this next week, if we're still alive!

In an astonishing piece of bad timing, on the same day that the government admitted millions of peoples' brains may turn into sponges, the arrival of the 'McPlane' was announced - a aircraft sponsored by McDonalds, with nothing on the menu except beefburgers. Mmm. "We're after the kids on this one," a spokesman said. Moooooo!

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