More than 100 eco-activists have moved into a field in Deangate Ridge yesterday – revealing the site of next week’s Camp for Climate Action protest.
The first wave of green campaigners pitched their tents and a ‘No New Coal’ banner at 3pm.
The field is situated on a road that links Hoo St Werburgh and High Halstow, less than 1km away from Kingsnorth power station.
One of the lead group, protestor Terry Graves said: “We want to warmly invite people from the local community to come down and see for themselves what the camp is all about."
Fellow campaigner Christina Greensford added: “E.ON and the government believe that you can have endless fossil-fuelled economic growth in a world of finite resources.
“People from all over the UK are here to create a democratic, low-carbon society in which our long term future on this planet is prioritised over the short term profit margins of the fossil fuel industry.”
More than 20 sheep were in the field when the protestors arrived. They are said to have been rounded up by the anti-coal campaigners and are being given food and water.
A Camp spokesman said: “Although we have been upfront and open about most aspects of our plans, the location of the camp had not been revealed until today in order to prevent E.ON and the police from attempting to stop it from happening.
“We intend to return the field in two weeks in as good, if not better, condition than it was found.”
Earlier today a video clip showing protestors cut, rip and smash their way onto private property was slammed by Kingsnorth power station bosses.
The three-minute montage has been uploaded onto the Camp for Climate Action’s website – just days before their week-long demonstration near the Hoo peninsula plant is due to begin.
Activists are seen marching through farmland, battling with police, brandishing flares and tearing through boundary fences.
E.ON’s head of business resilience Graham Clarke said: “We have said all along that we respect the Camp’s right to protest but the scenes depicted in this video are completely unacceptable.
“The behaviour that the organisers of this event appear to condone completely contradicts their assurances that the event is a family-friendly affair and will cause minimal disruption to the local community.
“If this is the way that Climate Camp wants its activists to behave then they are showing a blatant disregard for their own safety and that of others.”
Camp officials have vowed to shut the power plant down during a day of “mass action” on Saturday August 9, by launching a synchronised land, sea and air attack on the station.
The Camp runs from Sunday to Monday August 11.
POSTED: 30/07/2008 16:50:13
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