OFF THE RAILS

Climate change campaigners shut down a train line shuttling coal between an open cast mine and a power station for eight hours on Monday (26th), by chaining themselves to the rails.

The Bristol and Bath Rising Tide activists locked on to the tracks with chains and padlocks at around midday, bringing trains travelling between Ffos y Fran Open Cast Coal mine and Aberthaw Power Station in South Wales grinding to a halt.

Police arrived shortly afterwards and, at around 4pm, began cutting through the padlocks and arresting those not locked on. When police succeeded in prising away the last activist at 5.15pm, a second group then locked on further down the line.

After a total of 18 arrests, the line reopened at 8.10pm. The 18 have been charged under the 1861 Malicious Damages, which ludicrously carries a maximum penalty of life. All 18 have been bailed to appear at Merthyr Tydfill Magistrates Court on 10th May at 10.00 am.

As well as targeting our disastrous reliance on fossil fuels, the action was also in solidarity with residents. Kim Green from Rising Tide said, “This action is also in support of the local people of Merthyr Tydfil whose campaign ‘Residents Against Ffos y Fran’ have been fighting the mine for over six years. The mine causes noise pollution for up to 16 hours a day, dust and dirt are carried into the town by the wind, and it turns the rain black.”

She added that the failure of the Copenhagen climate talks and unwillingness of government to doing anything about it all just highlights the need for the people to take grass-roots direct action.

*See www.risingtide.or.uk