Further to the posting on 24th September 2009, we can report that the Great Climate Swoop protest at Ratcliffe went ahead on 19th October as planned and has been hailed as a ‘massive success’!
The Ratcliffe coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire was the target for the environmental activists. The protesters gathered at various points on Saturday morning, broke through a perimeter fence within 5 minutes and swooped into the power plant in separate groups, thus achieving their aim.
About 300 protesters were present and police have confirmed reports that there were 3 people injured and that 50 arrests were made.
Demonstrators who were involved in the The Great Climate Swoop included supporters from; Climate Rush, Plane Stupid and Camp for Action. Their overall mission is to show that coal has no future and to take action, when and where possible, on issues climate change.
Climate change activists, such as: Camp for Climate Action, Plane Stupid, Climate Rush, Rising Tide and others have joined forces and as the result of an on-line public vote, have organised a mega pubic get together to close one of the UK’s biggest coal fired power stations: E.ON’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottingham
In the run up to Copenhagen, there is a mounting feeling of tension, which is spilling over into impressive calls for action. Growing numbers of people are feeling that it’s time to take action into their own hands as they become increasingly frustrated not to mention embarrassed by the extreme level of foot dragging going on in the UK over climate change – namely by the government and leading corporations.
The Great Climate Swoop openly recognizes the vital role coal has played in our nation’s past, however now it is time to take responsibility for our future. Burning coal is now the biggest single source of carbon emissions in the UK.
Although Drax is Europe’s biggest coal power station, and the UK’s largest source of carbon emissions, with a nod to the reality TV voting systems, the power station selected by thousands of interested parties for ‘Direct Action’ is Ratcliffe-on-Soar – the UK’s 3rd largest source of carbon emissions, with plans to build a controversial new coal plant at Kingsnorth.
The ‘Great Climate Swoop’ is planned for 17th and 18th October and will operate on the same basis as the G20 camp, which was deemed massively successful due to the fact that the protestors managed to set up camp completely avoiding police surveillance!