Action on Agrofuels : coverage 15th April ’08

Click here for solidarity statement: Biofuelwatch expresses serious concerns about Edinburgh Police harassment of peaceful protest.

The April 15th actions on agrofuels has also been covered by Earth First! reports at http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20546.

EVENTS:

Click for:  

Aberdeen Brighton
Cirencester Cheltenham
Edinburgh Ghent (Belgium)
Glasgow Gloucester
London Manchester/Bolton   
Stroud

Aberdeen

Aberdeen Campaign against Climate Change held a banner protest outside BP.  See Press and Journal report..   
They also held a demo outside Royal Bank of Scotland, Union Street who are financing the Ensus biofuel refinery and another in Ireland.

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Brighton

Brighton biofuel activists made a colourful banner and flyer tour of Brighton city centre and Sussex University on Tuesday, talking to people taking all forms of public transport and
dropping windscreen alerts to raise awareness around the new RTFO. For more photos and a press release, see: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396734.html .

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Bristol

Members of Bristol Rising Tide and Espacio
Bristol –Colombia held a protest outside a Tesco petrol station in Eastville, Bristol from to highlight the devastating consequences
that agrofuels from monocultures will have on the climate, ecosystems, food prices and human rights.  Tesco are a major investor in
agrofuels and have been a biofuel market leader amongst UK supermarkets. 

See press release.

Cirencester

Traffic Lights for Peace leafleted the petrol station at Tesco’s in Cirencester on April 15th to highlight the instigation of the RTFO.

Cheltenham

Cheltenham Friends of the Earth organised and attended a peaceful banner protest at Tescos, which was supported by Campaign Against
Climate Change Gloucester and Stroud Green Party. Within minutes security had removed protestors from the premises. Despite the foul
weather over a 150 leaflets were distributed to passing motorists and were very well received.

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Edinburgh

An anonymous group of agrofuel activists disabled several pumps at two BP filling stations.  BP was targeted as a major investor in agrofuels.  Click here for their press release and
here for Indymedia report. Read more about the arrests here
and here
and here
and here and
here for a slide show.

Separately, and later in the day, some 25 people
held a lawful banner protest outside the BP petrol station in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. The protest was organised by Agrofuel Action
Edinburgh.  People dressed as trees formed a “forest” and handed out leaflets about the damaging effects of agrofuels and
BP’s involvement. Edinburgh Rebel Clown Army members then “deforested” them and the “trees” started to
emit black CO2 balloons. Others “greenwashed” the BP sign with green water and a mop. The spectacle was accompanied by a strong
police and media presence. Unfortunately, 5 clowns who had created a fun, party-like, light-hearted atmosphere at the protest were suddenly
surrounded by police and arrested. They were charged with Breach of the Peace for ‘milling around’.

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Ghent

Thirty activist of “agrocrisis” blocked the gates of the Cargill factory in Ghent (Belgium). Several activist are chained to the main gate blocking entrance to trucks.
Indymedia report

Glasgow

Protesters against biofuels dropped a banner at Charing Cross today, to draw attention to the use of food to make petrol.  See Indymedia report

There was also a protest at the BP station near Anniesland in Glasgow on 19th April. Banners were hung and leaflets handed out to motorists for an hour and a half.

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Gloucester

On April 15th to draw attention to the Renwable Transport Fuel Obligation, Campaign against Climate Change Gloucester targeted
shoppers at Tesco’s largest Gloucester store, at St. Oswald’s site.

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Hitchin

About 12 people from Hitchin and Lethworth held a protest on 12th April, calling on the UK government to drop the
RTFO. 

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Leeds

Huddersfield Friends of the Earth organised a banner protest with leafleting outside the constituency office of Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment.  More
information to follow.

London

Some 200 people attended a protest outside Downing Street, which had been organised by Biofuelwatch and Campaign Against Climate Change.  Speakers from Friends of the Earth, the
Global Forest Coalition, GM Freeze, Campaign Against Climate Change, Biofuelwatch.

Earlier in the day, 30 people held a protest outside the Department for Transport. 

Indymedia report 1.

Indymedia report 2.

Friction TV video:

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Manchester/Bolton

Campaigners from Manchester held a banner protest with costumes, samba music and an orang-utan costume outside the constituency office of Ruth Kelley, Secretary of State for
Transport, the minister directly responsible for the RTFO.  Watch video of the event here.

See
This is Lancashire
for a news article.

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Stroud

On April 15th Traffic Lights for Peace protested at the main Tesco in Stroud at the government’s introduction of the RTFO and Tesco’s position as market leader at the forecourt. Many customers were bemused by the
Government’s apparent lack of thought into the issue, especially in view of majority world food shortages.