Bristol

Formed out of and inspired by the first Climate Camp in August 2006, Bristol Rising Tide has gone from strength to strength. We are motivated by the growing evidence that climate change is well underway and and that those in power are not going to do much more about it than rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic.

We are an open, autonomous, grassroots direct action group: everyone is welcome except the police and their mates. We have adopted the
People's Global Action Hallmarks, a statement which affirms our rejection of all systems of domination - you name it - capitalism, patriarchy, racism, and any other -isms or -ologies that divide and oppress us. We don’t believe governments or businesses are going to solve our problems: We are going to have to do it ourselves, learning as we go.

Picture: Westside neighbourhood at Kingsnorth climate camp 2008. Credit:Jess Hurd

Our meetings

We get together to talk, plot, plan and make decisions every other Monday, 7.30pm at Kebele Social Centre. Check out Bristol Indymedia for the date of the next meeting and come on down.

Recent Activity

A group of individuals who met through the Rising Tide network and were inspired to take direct action against the route causes of climate change. They maintain an 8-hour blockade of coal trains carrying fuel from Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine to Aberthaw power station.

ACTION

On 26th April 2010 in the early afternoon a group of individuals made their presence known to staff and security at Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil. Having ensured their presence around the tracks was known and no trains would be leaving until they were removed, they proceeded to lock themselves to the train track using chains and super glue. This single track is used to transport train-loads of mined coal to Aberthaw power station, and the first and only train for the day was due to leave soon after. Legal observers and support were present.

It took a long time for police to make the lengthy journey from the nearest police station, however they sent their friendly neighbourhood helicopter on plenty of pointless gas-guzzling jaunts around the area. Once the police properly arrived they immediately arrested the four support people, placed them in handcuffs and made them wait beside the track while a cutting team arrived to remove the group who had locked on to the rails. Despite the handcuffs, the support team continued to provide food and water to the lock-on team. Later the police also arrested the legal observer who was clearly on the other side of the fence and not on the track. After approximately 4 and a half hours of lengthy response times and a paper-chain of police bureaucracy that group was removed and arrested.

As this group of people were being led off the train tracks they informed the police of some incredibly irritating news. A second group had been hiding just round the corner and were as they spoke emerging and locking onto the tracks with heavy duty lock-on tubes. Clearly too exhausted from their hard work operating bolt croppers to take a quick stroll down the line to check this out, the helicopter took to the skies once more. One quick swoop confirmed what it had failed to notice on its many swoops earlier - four protesters with a legal observer and support, cheerfully waving from the train track before, now finally sure their presence had been noted, calmly taking their places on roll mats and rugs and locking on inside two lock-on tubes placed in convenient gaps under the railway line. By this point it was 5.00pm.

A network rail engineer ran a couple of hundred metres down the tracks to check upon the new group. The police drove. Again on arrival they immediately arrested the legal observer and support, who were cheerfully reading a novel to those locked. Despite failing to produce on demand a Risk Assessment of the cutting operation (but plenty of whinging about how dangerous it is) it took the cops until 8pm to cut open the tubes - one of which was multi-layered, and the other of which had a very thick metal layer. A special groan was reserved for when they realised the protesters had not just chained but also superglued their hands together inside the tubes and had to send for some industrial glue remover.

CONSEQUENCES

All arrested were taken to Ystrad Mynach Police Station. This included four people who were enjoying a nice day out in the beautiful surrounding countryside, who the police arrested out of some kind of belief that they were in some way involved. In total 18 were arrested and spent 24 hours in the cells.

It appears that legal observers and support roles were originally arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, however they were subsequently charged with the same charge as those who had locked on. All 18 were eventually charged with "Unlawful Act With Intent To Obstruct The Railways" contrary to section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861. This rather quaint law designed to protect the interests of private landowners over 150 years ago carries a rather less quaint maximum sentence of life in prison. However the protesters have stated that they are not anticipating anything approaching that kind of sentence as the law is obviously out of date and ample safety measures were taken to ensure there would be no danger to the train, the train driver, the police or the protesters.

Update

Eighteen people from Bristol and Bath were in court last week (July 8) to answer two charges of obstructing the railway at Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil. Seven people who had chained themselves to the track and six who had been acting as support and legal observers all pleaded guilty to Section 36 of the Malicious Damages Act 1861, and not guilty to Section 35 of the same act (the section carrying the infamous life penalty). Five people including a legal obvserer and drivers pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Section 35 was dropped against all 18, crucially acknowledging that this was not a malicious action as originally alleged, and Section 36 was dropped against the 5 who had pleaded not guilty to it and had clearly had nothing to do with the obstruction.

Five of the eighteen walked out of court with no conviction. For the other thirteen, sentencing will be on August 13th at Merthyr Crown Court. There will be no prison sentences, however it appears restraining orders and an £8000 compensation claim are being considered.

Those involved are very grateful for the continued support of friends in Merthyr Tydfil, Bristol, Bath, nationwide and beyond. Hopefully there will be a big turnout for sentencing, when those facing restraining orders will explain for the record why they felt it necessary to blockade a coal train.

Past Activity

Bristol Rising Tide support Vestas workers

Call-out to join the Co-Mutiny and workshop call out.

Direct Action stops Shell’s operations in Co.Mayo

Skillshare weekends

Challenging Corporate Greenwash

Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Protest against Shell sponsorship of this prestigious photo competition.

Saturday 15th December : 12noon. Outside the City of Bristol Musuem, Queens road, activists from: Bristol Rising Tide ; Friends of The Earth; People and Planet and concerned individuals protested against the sponsorship of The wildlife Photographer of the year by Shell a serial environmental destroyer.

Events on the day

Shell is the world’s second largest oil company and continues to damage, destroy, and decimate wildlife and human habitat all over the world on an unprecedented scale. Yet they try to deceive the public into thinking they are a ‘green’ and responsible company. If Shell’s sponsorship of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award isn’t an insult and a direct attack on the movement for climate justice, we don’t know what is. It’s time to draw a line in the sand, right here in Bristol. Shell’s greenwash is not welcome in our city and especially in our public museum.

The exhibition is in Bristol City Musuem from 15th December - 13th January and we have been busy mobilising against this.

The BBC Wildlife Magazine who run the competition are based in Bristol so a few people paid a visit to their offices.

Polar Bear Disrupts National BBC Wildlife Magazine HQ.

Here is Josh Harts blog, who's involved with Bristol Rising Tide, on why he is opposing the Sponsorship of this event by Shell.
sHELLs Wild Lie.

Biofuels
Biofuel Watch week of action 26th Jan. to 3rd Feb.
Biofuels in Bristol

Banking

RBS-NatWest publicly promotes itself as "The Oil & Gas Bank". They provide the financial fuel that is accelerating climate change. Without these loans to oil and gas corporations the projects would not happen. It is estimate that in 2006, the bank provided over $10 billion to fossil fuels – more than five times that provided to renewable energy. RBS and the Financing of Climate Change

RBS provide oil corporations with loans to build new massively ecologically detrimental drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. And as RBS's profits rise so does the carbon in the atmosphere.

We took part in the National Day of Action against the Royal Bank of Scotland on the 13th Dec.
Climate refugee polar bears locked up at RBS

Following this successful action four polar bears were in court wearing tee-shirts saying RBS: Guilty of Causing Climate Change. Polar Bears in Court

Aviation

We fundamentally oppose any expansion of air travel, and specifically the proposed expansion of Bristol International Airport. In December 06 we occupied the lobby of the key decision makers in order to deliver a giant letter, which highlighted all the reasons why expansion is a crazy idea and made clear our commitment to taking direct action to stop the expansion if it is given the go ahead.
Action report

The Oil Industry

Petrol stations are the public face of oil corporations. They are found all over our city. Disrupting their smooth operations and exposing the oily exploitative reality behind their slick greenwashed exteriors is a favourite pastime of ours. They can't be allowed to fool people into believing that they are part of a sustainable or socially just future. They are not genuinely working towards reducing oil dependency, they have played a crucial and deeply cynical role in holding up the climate change debate. We also encourage drivers to think about the links between climate change and their personal carbon usage

For loads of coverage, stories, pictures and debate, check out the indymedia coverage.

Welsh Gas Pipeline

National Grid are currently building a high-pressure gas pipeline through the South of Wales. Bristol Rising Tide has been, and will continue to be, really active in resisting this new carbon intensive energy project while working in solidarity with local communities whose safety fears have been steamrollered over. We have been supporting the protest camps set up along the route of the pipeline and regularly taking part in actions to stop work and keep the issue high on the news agenda.(Read More)

Contact us

E-mail: bristol@risingtide.org.uk
Postal Address: Kebele, Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 6JY.