Photos from Save Radley Lakes demo

Gregor Samsa | 10.03.2007 21:51 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Oxford

Well-supported demo to save Radley Lakes

Street theatre - acting out N-power's actions

Dr Harris MP addresses the multitude

Local demonstrators at the Guildhall

March to the Lakes

Rally at the Lakes

A well-supported demonstration took place today to protest against N-power's plans to fill Radley Lakes with toxic waste from the nearby Didcot power station.The demonstrators made it clear that they will not be bullied into submission by N-power's court injunctions against protestors.

Starting with a rally at Abingdon's Guildhall, addressed by local MP Dr Evan Harris, Abingdon's mayor and supporters of the Save Radley Lakes Campaign, the group marched on to the Lakes themselves, where they met up with a group of cyclists from Oxford. Press were in attendance (and a couple of young, mysterious photographers, suspected of being intelligence gatherers for N-power), and the demo received substantial and sympathetic coverage on Meridian's news that evening.

Gregor Samsa

Additions

550 march in protest

11.03.2007 07:34

503 people marched from Abingdon and 36 cycled from Oxford. In all, nearly 550 people.

Adny

It was the Sandles eviction raised the issue on to my radar

11.03.2007 10:07

By the way, there were 40 cyclists, including 2 toddlers, 36 eighteen-to-seventy-five year olds set out from Oxford City, with two toddlers in tow in cyclebuggies, but we grew the ride on the way... with people joining in...

We shouldn't fall into the "divide and rule" trap - there's always been arrestables and non-arrestables in every environmental head-to-head between community and State.

I think its unfair to characterise this as a polarised campaign: core members of Save Radley Lakes were physically abused by Shecurity while those members were trying to photograph the physical abuse of one of the six Sandles squatters.

The predominantly local-led nature of this campaign is important to its strength - and press-wise, helps prevent right-wing tabloids from attempting to characterise the campaign using oppressive stereotypes.

On the other hand, it is interesting to see that the Abindgdon constabulary does not send in snatch squads to rugby tackle Abingdonians wearing full face balaclavas, whereas a scrum of mask-wearing Wombles would have been banged up before Uncle Bulgaria could wink twice.

Perhaps both Shecurity, NPower and the Police are scared of violently putting down the local people's protest, and this might be why this campaign succeeds in the end. And if there is such a time that local people decide to use NVDA, and want advice and help, there's a wealth of knowledge among environmental activists in Oxon to ensure their safety and success.

Jon Rees

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

dr evan harris a puppet for the vivisection industry

10.03.2007 22:27

I'd get rid of this disgraceful little turd who openly supports animal experimentation and who has put his backing behind the building of the new torture chamber for animals currently being built at oxford university.

This lame arse brown nosed arrogant twat is a serious liabilty.

Bill

Too little, too late

10.03.2007 22:27

Where were all these people when the lakeside house was being held in protest? Desperately trying to distance themselves fron 'undesirables' - that's where.

lake lover

re: lake lover

11.03.2007 12:37

Not helpful attitude - even if people voice 'distancing themselves from undesirables', which no-one's said has happened here, might it be because doing something you've not done before, especially very different than your whole life before is scary, never mind taking direct action, ditto risking arrest possibly. Rather than pointing fingers (unless you wanna be an ego-warrior), chatting and workshops might make things seem safer and break down barriers (and you say it's them being prejudiced!).

lova lake

Bog off, Bill!

11.03.2007 15:33

What's Harris's views on vivisection got to do with Radley Lakes? Or yours, for that matter? Put your soapbox somewhere else, please.

Sooty

Hit npower where it hurts

11.03.2007 22:04

in the pocket. I switched from their electricity and gas supply yesterday and told them why.
And anyone who supports animal torture for profit has no right to exist let alone address a demo.

Doof

to lova lake

12.03.2007 19:11

Sooo sorry I even bothered asking that question. See, I thought that's what this site was about - being able to express an opinion.
I just get pissed off at the attitude I meet time and time again - and I'm not talking generally - I was there in Radley and got the nasty looks and side comments.

lake lover

that's what you get if you dress like a frog and smoke too much pot!

12.03.2007 23:06

ease off - sounds like the paranoia talking lake lova

psyche ward

one struggle

14.03.2007 19:25

In response to Sooty, the problem is not so much Evan Harris' opinions, but his active involvement in drafting draconian laws to defend the vivisection industry - laws which criminalise effective protest. Experience has shown time and again that such laws are used first against marginalised groups like animal rights activists, then later on more 'mainstream' protesters.

For example, the type of injunction currently being used at Radley in an attempt to intimidate people out of their right to protest was used first on animal rights campaigns (the Oxford lab being just one example).

We need to recognise we are seeing a general crackdown on effective dissent, and unless we stand up for each other we will be picked off one campaign at a time. Whatever your views on vivisection you should stand with AR activists to defend everyone's freedom to protest.

Oh, and if that sounds like too much to swallow for those of you who don't normally sympathise with AR people, just try talking to a few of them and you'll discover they are generally intelligent and caring people, not the demonic creatures the media would have you believe.

anon

Radley Lakes

20.11.2008 09:36

Do any of you realise that it is Npower that own the Radley Lakes, just because they allow you to use it, this does not mean that you decide what they do with them.

Annomous Person