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“Oily money out” : Greta Thunberg and 20 others arrested at London protest

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/greta-thunberg-and-20-others-arrested-in-protest-against-fossil-fuel-leaders-meeting

CLIMATE activist Greta Thunberg was arrested along with 20 other protesters outside a central London hotel today in an action to disrupt the Energy Intelligence Forum.

The InterContinental London hotel near Hyde Park was hosting the heads of major oil and gas companies at the event.

Fossil Free London, which organised the protest, hit out at the companies for deliberately slowing the global energy transition to renewables in order to make more profits.

The group highlighted how this year’s United Nations climate conference president is also the chief executive of an oil company.

Dozens of protesters blocked Hamilton Place at both ends with banners and pink umbrellas with eyes painted on, chanting: “Oily money out” and “Cancel the conference.”

Greenpeace activists abseiled down from the roof of the hotel to unfurl a banner reading: “Make big oil pay.”

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later: A detailed, informative article: Oily Money Out: Greta Thunberg arrested at oil conference protest in London

Continue Reading“Oily money out” : Greta Thunberg and 20 others arrested at London protest

Dutch MP majority in favour of potential phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies

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Extinction Rebellion activists block the Utrechtsebaan of the A12 highway in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies, 26 November 2022 - Credit: Extinction Rebellion / Provided - License: All Rights Reserved
Extinction Rebellion activists block the Utrechtsebaan of the A12 highway in The Hague to protest against fossil fuel subsidies, 26 November 2022 – Credit: Extinction Rebellion / Provided – License: All Rights Reserved

https://nltimes.nl/2023/10/10/mp-majority-favor-potential-phase-fossil-fuel-subsidies

A majority of the Tweede Kamer adopted on Tuesday afternoon a motion from Suzanne Kroger (GroenLinks) and Raoul Boucke (D66) that calls for a possible phase-out plan for fossil fuel subsidies. GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, PvdD, SP, ChristenUnie, Volt, Bij1, Denk, VVD and CDA voted in favor.

NOS reported prior to the vote on Tuesday that the CDA would vote in favor of the motion, meaning a parliamentary majority would be reached. CDA MP Derk Boswijk told NOS prior to the vote that his party would eventually vote in favor because “we, as CDA, want to pass on a cleaner world to the next generation.” He believes it’s wise to explore how fossil subsidies can be phased out “in a sensible manner.”

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The climate activist group, Extinction Rebellion[NL], blocked the A12 highway in The Hague for several consecutive days, pushing the Dutch government to abandon policies that support the fossil fuel industry. They suspended the blockades on Friday in anticipation of the parliamentary vote on Tuesday.

The organization announced on Tuesday prior to the vote that they will stop demonstrations on the A12 highway until Christmas, Nu.nl reported.

Extinction Rebellion NL image reads STOP FOSSIELE SUBSIDIES
Extinction Rebellion NL image reads STOP FOSSIELE SUBSIDIES

“Civil disobedience works,” the climate activist group stated on Tuesday. A spokesperson describes the vote as a significant step. “Recently, with the A12-blockades, we caused shockwaves in society and made people look differently at fossil fuel subsidies. That social change has translated into politics today. And that is what we always wanted,” she said.

She added that the XR will now look at the implementation of the bill. “Of course we will look critically at what happens next. Should it turn out that politics fails again, we will come back with much more,” she said.

Continue ReadingDutch MP majority in favour of potential phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies

Thousands march against Tories in Manchester

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/thousands-march-against-tories-in-manchester

Meanwhile, police officers criticised for searching campaigners’ coach and ‘undermining their right to protest’

A huge protest against the Tories in Manchester, October 1, 2023 Photo: Neil Terry / Neil Terry Photography
A huge protest against the Tories in Manchester, October 1, 2023 Photo: Neil Terry / Neil Terry Photography

THOUSANDS of people marched through the streets of Manchester today telling delegates to the Tory Party conference there that they are not welcome.

Headed by the banner of the Manchester People’s Assembly, which organised the march with the national People’s Assembly, the protesters represented trade unions and a huge diversity of campaign groups expressing their anger at the destruction wrought across society by the Tories.

Disabled people, peace activists and dozens more groups marched noisily through the city centre.

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Protesters from all across the country took coaches to attend the march.

One coach transporting protesters from London was stopped by the police, who signalled the bus to follow them to Knutsford in Cheshire where it was searched by around 30 officers.

The protesters were late as a result. Activists said it undermined their right to protest and was a waste of police time and money.

Lorraine Douglas, from the Communist Party, said: “The sergeant came on and said they’d received intelligence that there were people on the bus set on doing criminal damage and they were going to search the bus for equipment that could cause criminal damage.”

The police went on to read a section of the Public Order Act.

“They refused to say what the intelligence was, and they got us all off the bus and searched the bus, found one flare and it looked like they had some magic markers or pens,” Ms Douglas said.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/thousands-march-against-tories-in-manchester

Are the police targeting Communists?

Continue ReadingThousands march against Tories in Manchester

Protests outside courts in England after activist charged over jury rights sign

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/25/protests-courts-england-activist-charged-jury-rights-sign

Demonstrators hold placards in response to contempt of court action against Trudi Warner, 68

Juries protest Bristol Crown Court 25 Sept 2023. Image by Jamie Bellinger.
Juries protest Bristol Crown Court 25 Sept 2023. Image by Jamie Bellinger.

Activists have protested outside crown courts in England against the contempt of court action being taken against a woman for holding up a placard on the rights of jurors.

In response to the decision by the solicitor general, a government law officer, to pursue Trudi Warner, 68, for contempt of court, scores of people gathered outside crown courts on Monday holding placards that pronounced on the rights of juries to acquit a defendant according to their consciences.

Abi Perrin, a scientist involved in the protest said: “In 2023 telling the truth is being treated as a criminal act, with people prosecuted for displaying facts in public, and imprisoned for explaining their motivations in their own defence in a court of law.

“I am deeply afraid of a world where truth, science and morality are not important, or where we are not free to fight for them.”

In Bristol three generations of one family held placards outside the crown court.

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While Warner faces a possible jail sentence, a separate police investigation is taking place into allegations of attempting to pervert the course of justice relating to at least 12 people who also stood outside Inner London crown court in May holding similar placards.

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/25/protests-courts-england-activist-charged-jury-rights-sign

Trudi Warner is a climate activist charged over holding the sign outside a hearing of Insulate Britain activists.

Fears over right to protest after woman with sign at climate trial prosecuted

Continue ReadingProtests outside courts in England after activist charged over jury rights sign

Extinction Rebellion takes legal action against water cannon use at A12 protests

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https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/25/extinction-rebellion-takes-legal-action-water-cannon-use-a12-protests

Extinction Rebellion wants to prohibit the use of water cannons during climate protests on the A12 highway through legal means. The activist group announced on Monday that it will file summary proceedings against the State. A spokesperson stated that the summons will be issued on Monday or Tuesday, after which the court date for the lawsuit will be determined.

The group’s lawyer, Willem Jebbink, described the deployment of the water cannon as “completely unnecessary and disproportionate.” He pointed out that protestors are being hit with a forceful stream of water, even when there is no indication of a threatening or dangerous situation. “Water cannons are weapons and are now causing injuries. Protestors are being blasted across the road surface, sustaining bruises from the force of the stream.”

Jebbink stated that the water cannon’s pressure on Saturday was so intense that activists had to shield their kidneys by carrying bags on their backs. “The government should protect citizens who are peacefully expressing their opinions, not assault them with unnecessary force.”

In the lawyer’s view, the use of this tactic serves no purpose since it does not disperse the protestors. Furthermore, water cannons were only deployed on September 18, 19, and 20 after protestors had already been detained. “They were trapped between the police line and the water cannon, suggesting that these are corporal punishments.”

Since September 9, Extinction Rebellion has been organizing daily protests on the A12 by blocking the highway. Their goal is to pressure the Dutch government to abandon policies supporting the fossil fuel industry. [stop fossil fuel subsidies] Over the past three days, more than a thousand individuals were arrested.

The water cannon was not deployed on Sunday.

https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/25/extinction-rebellion-takes-legal-action-water-cannon-use-a12-protests

Continue ReadingExtinction Rebellion takes legal action against water cannon use at A12 protests