News Mass protest at Drax
Up to 2,000 people from across Britain and Europe are planning to set up camp near Drax power station on Saturday in a bid to educate people about the danger of burning fossil fuels.
Three police forces have been drafted in, 24-hour patrol vans have been brought in and fences and CCTV installed to deal with the Camp for Climate Action, which runs until September 4.
The 10-day camp, which aims to use workshops to educate people about fossil fuels and the effect they have on the environment, will include ?a day of action? next Thursday, August 31, when organisers plan to converge on the power station for ?a day of creative mass action? to shut down the station.
Drax was recently granted an injunction forbidding people to trespass on their site and restricting the use of a footpath which runs alongside it. As this newspaper reported last week, the company feel that campaigners could put themselves in danger by coming onto the site.
However, when asked whether the protesters would obey the injunction Anna Harrison, of Reclaim Power, said it would be up to individuals what they did.
?When considering the scale of the disaster we are facing, direct action against the worst emitters of carbon dioxide is a proportionate response.
?It?s not enough to simply change our own lives, we need to take collective action,? she said.
Organisers of the Camp for Climate Action will not reveal exactly where the camp will be until midday on Saturday, for fear that land owners might come under pressure, but have advised supporters that Selby is the nearest railway station to the planned camp.
?People are coming from all over the UK and some from Europe. Some people have actually cycled from London,? said Ms Harrsison.
?We won't know exactly how many people will come until they arrive but we?re expecting between 1,000 and 2,000 people.?
Security has already been heavily increased around the power station, with 24-hour patrol vans, CCTV at key sites, newly-built fences with sensors attached and security around water inlet and outlet points.
Humberside and West Yorkshire Police forces have been drafted in to help North Yorkshire Police (NYP) deal with any problems.
Assistant chief constable at NYP, Peter Bagshaw, said: ?North Yorkshire Police have made preparations with all our local partner agencies to ensure that we can respond to any issues arising from the camp in a way that will allow individuals to exercise their lawful rights to demonstrate, but which will minimise disruption to local residents, businesses and visitors to the area.?
He has also been to meetings in Selby to address the concerns of local residents.
Drax spokesperson Lisa McGauley said that company security staff and those assisting would enforce the injunction.
The company claims to run the cleanest and most efficient coal-fired power station in the United Kingdom.
Published on 24th August 2006 in News.
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