Register for London based action on the 8th of feb 2012 by texting OccupyOil to 07752969589.

We believe that the war for resources that has plagued us for many years, is forcing us to the point of near destruction. The pursuit of oil and minerals in Africa by the 1% has resulted in millions being murdered, raped or displaced.

Africa is plagued with civil war, poverty and starvation. The Middle East is at the point of all out war. The ruling elites are on the verge of attacking Iran. The global economy is eating itself alive. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 1997, 8 million people have lost their lives in a civil war, manipulated by those who would seek to gain the most from this resource rich country. The African people, in Nigeria, the DRC, Libya, Uganda and elsewhere, will pay dearly for the materialism of the West.

Report written by Rikki
Click here to see a GREAT PHOTO SET

in many years of independent reporting, i've often seen situations where police have caused larger disruption than a handfull of protestors, closing roads, sometimes closing down businesses, and sometimes massively amplifying the power of the protestors alone (not that that's their intention). however, this evening was, i think, the first time that they so completely did the job of the activists for them, that the campaigners could sit in a nice warm pub and toast the met, instead of standing around in the cold themselves.

Bristol based 'Demand Energy Equality' are working with Bristol RT to roll out workshops enabling people to build their own solar panels from re-used materials. The objective of the workshops is both to ensure that renewable technology is available to low income households, at half the price of commercial panels, and to educate participants about reducing energy demand and demistify the technology involved.

News from our friends at Stop New Nuclear (for more info check out http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk/).

FUKUSHIMA: The biggest industrial disaster in history. Japan, has been brought to its knees by the ongoing events at Fukushima.

The reactors that went into meltdown in March have now melted through the foundations and 40 years of accumulated nuclear waste is emitting vast amounts of radiation, contaminating the land, sea and air. In desperation, the Japanese government is transporting and burning radioactive rubble all over Japan and exporting highly contaminated food as “aid” to developing countries. Men, women and children are living in highly radioactive areas but they are not being evacuated as they should be. This intense radiation exposure has very serious health consequences for these people.

On 3rd December 2011 Rising Tide joined Kick Nuclear to support this year’s Climate Justice march in support of the tens of thousands mobilising in South Africa to demand climate justice at UN’s COP17 in Durban. Together with Kick Nuclear, Rising Tide marched and distributed leaflets to remind people that the British Government’s repackaging of nuclear power as a 'green' source of energy is a false and dangerous solution to climate change. The UK government is is planning to build new nuclear power stations at eight sites – all of which are existing nuclear sites. Hinkley Point is the first of these proposed sites for nuclear new build to go ahead. Activist action was key in stopping them here before in 1987, and we can do it again in 2012. If they fail at Hinkley, it is unlikely the “nuclear renaissance” will have the momentum to continue.

On 22nd December, two Bristol Rising Tide activists appeared at Lanark Sheriff's Court to be sentenced following an action to stop work at the Mainshill open cast mine back in March 2011. The two were fined £400 each for aggravated trespass by Sheriff Stewart.

They were part of a group who entered Scottish Coal's Mainshill mine in South Lanarkshire to disrupt coaling operations. The two Bristol activists managed to reach and scale a huge 260 tonne 'prime mover' in the bottom of the pit, one of the two biggest machines on the site. Other activists there to support them were brutally attacked by Scottish Coal employees and Trustcare Security. The action lasted over 4 hours before a specialist police team from Glasgow removed the people occupying the excavator, which had been in the process of loading coal from the seam on to dump trucks.

RT UK recently decided that we should put a story on our website to say thank you to those who have donated money to Rising Tide over the past few years. It also gives us a chance to inform you all who currently funds Rising Tide? While on occasion we receive grants from organisations like Artist Project Earth, LUSH or The Network for Social Change, and from time to time we organise benefit gigs, we also receive a few donations by cheque or standing order from individuals around the UK. To everyone and anyone who has donated (particularly Mrs W and Mr P) we would like to say a very big THANK YOU, as we have no paid staff, you can rest assured that we use the money you donate to directly confront the fossil fuel economy!