Fossil Fools

Rising Tide called for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st. People responded by targetting various aspects of the fossil fuel industry. In the UK, offices were targetted, banners dropped and protests held. In Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, protesters halted work at one of the biggest open-cast coal mines in Europe, with the intention to remain on the site for several days. Read reports: [1] [2]. Activists also blockaded the UK's largest off shore gas terminal at Bacton in Norfolk and prevented construction workers from entering the site. Read reports: [1] [2]. On 3rd April activists succesfully blockaded Aberthaw power station in Wales, causing huge traffic tailbacks. Read reports: [1] [2]. In Scotland the tyres of 4x4's were deflated and foolish action took place in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Nottingham, an office of energy giant E.ON was successfully blockaded. Two people were arrested and their homes raided and searched by police. Read report + audio. Read full reports: UK Indymedia, Notts Indymedia and Scotland Indymedia.

In the US, activists stopped bulldozers at the contruction site of Cliffside coal-fired power plant, Charlotte, North Carolina. Shortly after locking themselves to construction equipment, police arrived on the scene and used pain compliance holds and tazers to force them to unlock themselves. Read report. In Boston, Massachusetts, four activists locked themselves to the front entrance of a Bank of America branch and were arrested. They were protesting the bank's funding of coal and energy companies. Read report. Two people were arrested in New York City after locking themselves to the front door of Citibank's headquarters, protesting at the companies' "socially irresponsible investment strategy, which includes funding environmentally damaging industries". See report and photos. Other protests were reported in Houston, Denver, Berkeley, Portland, Maine and Worcester. Read full reports: US Indymedia.

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), 3 people were arrested at a Fossil Fools Day protest in Otautahi/Christchurch. One report speak of "blatant police harassment, prosecution of activists, with no possible justification for arrests and brutality." A group of climate change activists also presented Air New Zealand with New Zealand's first ever 'Fossil Fool' award. The company was chosen for the award because of their recent eco-branding program which "attempts to give their customers the impression that damage to the climate due to air travel can can be offset". Read report. Read full reports: Aotearoa Indymedia.

Other action roundups: Fossil Fools Day website | Rising Tide UK action roundup

Links: Climate IMC | Camp for Climate Action | Rising Tide Australia | Rising Tide North America | Rising Tide UK

"They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes - all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground." - Rising Tide action callout

Full UK action roundup: (from UK Indymedia)

In both Lancaster and Wrexham banners were hung at busy traffic spots.

London - FA headquarters - At closing time today London Rising Tide played a spoof game of football outside the Football Association's headquarters in Soho Square with a coal ball, scoring own-goals and with the slogans 'Climate FU Cup' and 'E-ON: No new coal' emblazoned on their football shirts. On the backs of their shirts were the names of the proposed new coal-fired power stations. A member of the group handed in a formal letter to Jonathan Hill, Director of the FA's Commercial Division, to complain about sponsorship of the culturally iconic game by a fossil fool. E-ON are aggressively promoting a return to coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, despite the urgent need to drastically cut climate-changing emissions. Some police, and FA security attended the match, supporting from the front doors of the FA headquarters. The match went on for over an hour, only stopping for oranges and a team photo at half time. See full articles with photos: [1] [2]. Around a hundred people gathered at Westminster to protest about the plans to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, the first of eight such major carbon-emitters being planned. Students brought with them three large white cooling towers, each with a large message 'NO NEW COAL' and one with rather nice grime dripping from its upper lip, and erected them on Parliament Square in front of the Houses of Parliament. Many of the students also held cutouts of Gordon Brown's face as they shouted advice to him that this programme makes a nonsense of the government's policy on carbon emissions, and several held posters showing the Draft Climate Change Bill, one of which, held by a jester, was set alight with the help of some lighter fuel. Read full article for more info.

Merthyr Tydfil (Wales) - At 7am protesters halted work at one of the biggest opencast coal mines in Europe, on the outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil. They intend to remain on the site for several days. - As dawn breaks on Fossil Fools Day in the UK 18 people are currently shutting down operations at the Ffof-y-fran open cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. This includes a team that has climbed a rig in the mine and have hung a banner while another team is blockading the mine gates locking themselves down with with bicycle d-locks. Read full article: [1] [2] + [video]. In London protesters payed a visit to the offices of Argent Group PLC in Piccadilly, who partly run operations at the mine in Merthyr Tydfil. See article with photos.

Nottingham - From 7:30 in the morning 30 people blockaded the entrances to E-on's offices on Mount St, Nottingham City Centre. People covered in green paint to represent E-on's greenwash, locked onto the front entrance to E-on's office and stood in front of other entrances preventing E-on workers from getting to work. Bob Castle, a spokesperson for the activists, said "We are here today because despite E-on publicly claiming green credentials, it is trying to build a new generation of coal fired power stations. It is trying to build the first new coal fired power station in the UK in 50 years, at Kingsnorth in Kent, and wishes to continue its expansion with a new power staion at High Marnham in Nottinghamshire. We are here to tell E-on that they will not suceed and the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Coal is the dirtiest Fossil Fool and to build new coal power stations in the face of climate change is collective suicide." Read full article and listen to the audio piece.

Bacton (Norfolk) - Earth First! UK activists blockaded the UK's largest off shore gas terminal at Bacton in Norfolk. 40% of the UK's domestic gas comes ashore here, is processed and distributed by pipeline. Activists blockaded the main road outside the site at 6.30 am, preventing construction workers and shift workers from arriving. The Bacton installation, operated primarily by petroleum giants Royal Dutch Shell & Exxon Mobil, includes a gas-fired power station, processing plant and distribution point for domestic gas. Shell estimates that over one third of domestic UK gas comes ashore at Bacton. The protest is also in solidarity with protestors at Rossport in Ireland, who have been trying to prevent a similar installation being built in their community. Catherine Lewis, one of the activists at the Bacton blockade, said: "The fossil fuel industry is the single biggest driver of climate change, and gas is no exception. Switching from one fossil fuel to another is not a solution to climate change "the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground." Banners proclaiming "Shrink of Sink" were stretched across the road, giving the message that we need to shrink our economy and consumption to cut carbon emmissions. Read initial report and see update with photos.

Cambridge - The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the main financiers of climate crime, in the form of oil and gas exploration. After targeting the Trinity Street branch last year, this time protesters paid a visit to the Hills Road Branch to mark the occasion of Fossil Fools Day. See full article with photos.

Edinburgh - Loads of gas guzzling 4x4's and around 10 swanky sports cars were disarmed last night as part of the 'Fossil Fools' day of action. We targeted one of Edinburghs' more affluent areas for our April fools fun! Read full article. Also in Edinburgh: the local battalion of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) marched into Sainsbury's and Tesco to point out the absurdity of squandering limited fossil fuel resources on flying strawberries to Scotland so we can eat them in the middle of winter. See full article with photos.

Sheffield - As part of Fossil Fools Day activity across the country, motorists in Sheffield were reminded of an alternative to their fuel-consuming, carbon producing transport... Petrol stations belonging to Waitrose and Shell were targeted with drivers being offered leaflets and bike route maps while being entertained by a cycle ballet performance. See full article with photos.

Plymouth - Climate activists, a proud penguin, king rat, yellow clowns and critical massers joined forces to shut down the Esso petrol station on Exeter Street. The climbing clowns scaled the roof while others blocked access to the forecourt. The atmosphere was celebratory in a doomed planet kinda way! - music and dancing, lots of leaflets given out and a surprising number of positive hoots from passing cars. There were seven arrests, both the roof team and those blocking the forecourt. Read full article.

Manchester - Manchester's Fossil Fools got up to all sorts of tricks, visiting some of their idols in the city centre... "Unfortunately in our efforts to congratulate the best fossil fools a few mishaps occurred... Some clowns got stuck in the revolving doors at RBS and a human pipeline was escorted from the city centre building by security. Some members of the parade got confused and chalked messages on the pavements, and people trying to escape the beating of drums ran to hide in the flight centre while the samba band, who really had no idea, blocked the entrance! Some policemen came along looking for Spartacus but couldn't find him anywhere." Read full article.

Hull - Dressed in high visability jackets reading 'Climate Crisis Prevention', hard hats and boiler suits, activist hung a banner in the town centre, below the large TV screen, reading; MONEY WELL SPENT? 2007 = 17,000 HOMES FLOODED - CLIMATE CHANGE = MORE FLOODS. They then proceeded to hand out flyers to local residents, of whom the VAST majority were very supportive. "Our experience of successfully making the transition for 'talking' to 'doing' was very positive for everybody involved, and having now completed our first ever action, we're looking forward to planning the next on the 1st May." said one of those involved. See full article with photo.

Norwich Activists from Rising Tide sent out a spoof press release announcing that Norwich Unions would be withdrawing all of its £6.1 billion investment in the fossil fuel industry and then organised a press conference to spread the word further, outside the front entrance of the Norwich Union HQ. When they arrived at Norwich Union they were greeted by numerous police (including some of the Forward Intelligence Team who had decided to come from London to Norwich for a day out). Read full article for more.

Camden (London) - The offices of Y&R advertising were paid a visit by London Rising Tide. Outside the Camden HQ activists did a spoof marketing campaign by Y&R who are currently trying to convince the public of Landrover's green credentials'!!?? One of their employees was initially quite angry and bewildered by what was happening. Though in fairness he did calm down and see the funny side making numerous cigarette breaks to come outside and chat to the activists and their polar bear. Meanwhile inside the building some other people posing as corporate clients gained access to Y&R and barricaded themselves inside one of their offices. The Police eventually showed up in force and nicked those inside. Which is exactly what they wanted as any charges will bring a nice big PR disaster to Y&R. Nice sunny day for it too... See full article with photos for more.

Glasgow - A bunch of Fossil Fools took to the Streets of Glasgow today, trying to persuade people to up their carbon emissions by putting more petrol in their cars, applauding SUV’s and urging pedestrians to Stop Walking - Start Driving! Read full article for more.

Aberthaw (Wales): - At 7.30am this morning (3rd April), activists successfully blockaded all entrances to Aberthaw Power Station in Barry, South Wales. The group are acting in solidarity with current actions against the Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. Aberthaw power station is burning coal extracted from the controversial mine. Deborah Locke, 30, who is one of the activists currently blocking the road said: "Climate change is the biggest issue of our time, and we all have to power to take action to halt climate catastrophe. We are acting in solidarity with activists and locals in Merthyr where the mine is not only environmentally devastating, but is also dangerously close to where people are living." Read articles for more info: [1] [2].

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