World Class Ecocriminals: BHP Billiton AGM Protest

Dateline: OccupyLSX to BHP Billiton AGM, QE2 Conference Centre, London, UK, 09:30-12:15, Thu 20 Oct 2011 – On what may be #OccupyLSX’s first off-site protest action, this morning a contingent of Occupy London campers and supporters marched the two miles from our St Paul’s encampment to the QE2 Conference Centre, just west of Parliament Square – wherein the profit-at-any-cost shareholder ecocriminals of BHP Billiton, our home world’s largest mining company, were holding their Annual General Meeting beanfeast. At the CONFRONT BHP BILLITON public protest, we made sure their intolerably rapacious treatment of indiginous peoples and planetary ecosystems the world around was roundly exposed and vigorously condemned.

The preceding evening, at a shocking and informative BHP Billiton Teach-In, the gross global extent of this mega-corporation's ecocrimes against people and planet were detailed and discussed. For the full low-down on just how dirty and low down BHP Billiton really are, please see the international network website:
• BHP Billiton Watch
» http://bhpbillitonwatch.net

A1. World Class Ecocriminals BHP Billiton Provoke International Solidarity Protest

B1. From Occupation to Confrontation – Our March Route

C1A. Tahrir Square EC4M Corner

C1B. Teh InterToobz Meme, Only IRL!!!1!

C1C. Strength & Solidarity in Our Diversity

C2. A Public Address in Early Morning Sunshine

C3. Solar Powered Meditation Space

C4. “Canary Wharf is Mordor” – Simply Superb!

C5. Natalie Portman’s Cosy Orange Tent

C6. A Soupçon of Rabbinical Wisdom

C7. Gratitude To Folk Blong St Paul’s Cathedral

D1. CONFRONT BHP BILLITON Marchers Begin To Gather

D2. Marchers Assemble Before the Temple Bar Archway

E1. We’re Off To Parliament Square...

E2. ...With a Spring in Our Step...

E3. ...And a Wiggle in Our Stride!

E4. Sauntering Past Sun-Dappled Somerset House

E5. Walking Over Waterloo Bridge...

E6. ...With Art On Our Side!

E7. Striding Through the Southbank Centre

E8. Cruising Cheerfully Along, South of Charing Cross...

E9. ...And Locomoting Easily Under the London Eye

F1. Agitating Alongside the Aquarium

F2. Bypassing a Bagpiper on Westminster Bridge

F3. Bonding With British 1st Century Rebel Boudica

F4. Circumventing the House of Con-mens

F5. Approaching the AGM Venue and...

G1. ...Joining The Banner Protest

G2. Freelancer Records Video Interview

G3. Land and Freedom

G4. Telling It Like It Is

G5. A Direct Approach

G6. Exposing Ecocriminals As Low-Life Scumbags

G7. New Nukes? NO, Thanks!

G8. Caution: Ecocidal Business People Inside

H1. Entering the House of Con-mens

H2A. Richard Solly Introduces ‘BHP Billiton – Dirty Energy, Alternative Annual Report 2011’

H2B. The ‘BHP Billiton Teach-In’ Speakers

H3. Richard Solly, Colombia Solidarity Campaign

H4. Julio Cesar Gomez, President of FECODEMIGUA

H5. Andrew Hickman, Down To Earth

H6. Andy Whitmore, Indigenous Peoples Links

BHP BILLITON TEACH-IN – Wed 19 Oct 11

For the first time in a looong time, I attended a public event in the House of Con-mens, and the way in has got waaay more complicated. Instead of just entering through the St Stephen’s Gate entrance, as happened perviously, the way in now involves...

• a long and circuitous detour
• being photographed for a photo-ID lanyard
• getting all you’re carrying passed through an airport-style security gate X-ray machine
• traversing the length of Westminster Hall
• walking past cops porting H&K MP5 submachine guns plus automatic side arms
• see map H1 above

I guess the UK state just got more paranoid about the prospect of violent reprisals being visited upon its ruling elite, provoked by the death, destruction and misery being perpetrated by UK corporations and armed services on our sisters and brothers overseas.

One such corporation – and the death, destruction and misery being perpetrated by it on ecosystems and people all around the world – was the reason behind my attendance. Far be it from me to sound like a hipster activist, but you’ve probably never heard of BHP Billiton (BHPB), since they’ve managed thus far to keep a waaay lower profile than well known UK ecocriminal corporations like BP and Shell. But BHPB are our home planet’s largest mining company, and sport a long and infamously ecocidal track record, being notorious for trampling roughshod over the rights, livelihoods, and health of people, fauna and flora who happen to be alive in mineral-rich locations coverted by their board of directors. 

Our BHP Billiton Teach-In was chaired by Baroness Sue Miller of Chilthorne Domer, Liberal Democrat Member of the House of Lords, the only Parliamentarian in attendance, and the supporter whose good offices secured the venue: Room 1, Upper Corridor, Palace of Westminster. “In 2005 she won the PRASEG award for the Peer who had made the greatest contribution in the field of renewable energy. She has an interest in Central and South American countries and is Vice Chair of the APPGs on Latin America, Mexico and Bolivia.” (source)

Introductory talks were presented by:

• Richard Solly, Colombia Solidarity Campaign, UK
• Julio Cesar Gomez, President of FECODEMIGUA: the Federation of Communities Displaced by Mining in La Guajira, Colombia
• Andrew Hickman, Down To Earth, UK
• Andy Whitmore, Indigenous Peoples Links, UK

Richard Solly, Colombia Solidarity Campaign
Richard introduced the other speakers, and noted that BHPB are a dual-listed company, being traded on both the London Stock Exchange (which is currently being targeted by #OccupyLSX), and on the the Australian Securities Exchange in Sydney (also an #OccupyTogether home town: Occupy Sydney), while being jointly registered as headquartered in London UK and Melbourne Australia (included also: Occupy Melbourne).   

Available at the Teach-In were printed copies of the third alternative annual report into BHPB, written by those opposed to its rapacious profiteering assaults on people and planet:

• BHP Billiton – Dirty Energy, Alternative Annual Report 2011

...which will soon be available online as a downloadable PDF file, alongside the alternative annual reports for 2009 and 2010 at:

• Alternative Annual Reports « BHP Billiton Watch
• » http://bhpbillitonwatch.net/bhpbilliton/alternative-annual-reports/

In only 21 pages, it gives a damning critique of why the bosses of BHPB could be prime candidates for Supreme Court prosecution for the international crime of Ecocide, once it’s recognised by the UN as the Fifth Crime Against Peace (see ‘Big Oil Bosses: Guilty of Ecocide, says (Mock) Trial’).


Julio Cesar Gomez, President of FECODEMIGUA
Julio spoke of the devastatingly detrimental effects visited upon the people and ecosystems of La Guajira Department of Colombia by the Cerrejón open cast coal mine, operated by the Cerrejón Coal corporation, which is one-third owned by BHPB. He categorised his criticisms into three sectors: environment, workforce, and communities.

1. Environmental Disaster
Julio noted that the Cerrejón open cast coal mine is about 100 times bigger than that being proposed by Scottish Coal, which our sisters and brothers in bonny Scotland may have just defeated (see Communities Against Airfield Open Cast). The Cerrejón mine has reaped irreparable environmental damage to the local water sources – streams and rivers – and hence to the ecosystems dependant thereon: many species of flora and fauna have simply disappeared from the area. Never-seen-before infirmities in domestic chickens are evidence of the high levels of environmental contamination. 

As if they hadn’t done enough damage, the Cerrejón Coal corporation proposes that the Ranchería River, La Guajira Department’s principal source of water, be diverted by 26 km – just because they want to dig out the high quality coal that lies underneath the river. Needless to say, this would be highly damaging and detrimental to the flora, fauna and communities that depend on the Ranchería River taking its current natural course.

2. Workforce Hyper-exploitation
Julio outlined how the mineworkers are maltreated by the Cerrejón Coal corporation, noting that the International Labour Organisation has stated that Colombian coal workers are the worst paid in the world. Through a web of subcontractors, workers are being forced to work longer hours for lower salaries. Many are suffering from the occupational illnesses commonly associated with coal mining, but these illnesses are not even being acknowledged or recognised, let alone treated.

3. Community Damage
In another clear example of ecoracism, the communities being damaged by the Cerrejón mining operation are of Afro-descendant and indigenous peoples. In the last 30 years, 10 communities have been wholly wiped out. In constructing a 150 km railway from the mine to a sea port, any community in the way of constructing the railway was uprooted and dispersed.

None of the communities' rights were taken in to account or respected by the Cerrejón Coal corporation, nor by the Colombian state or by social security organisations. The local people’s situation is lamentable – whereas they used to be able to live comfortably, breeding and raising animals and crops, now entire families are living in misery. Social networks, cultural inheritance, agricultural know-how – all have been shattered by the impact of the mining operations. The Cerrejón Coal corporation’s Department of Social Responsibility has maltreated local communities and threatened their activities. Even communities who have resisted and survived are suffering from high levels of environmental contamination, evidenced in respiratory illnesses which especially adversely affect children and the elderly.

Cerrejón Coal’s mine expansion plan jeopardises another six communities with being uprooted. Although relocation will occur, thanks to international pressure, these campesino farmers will be relocated to wholly urban areas – with no land to grow crops, they’ll be deprived of their previous livelihood, and thereby impoverished.

Julio poured scorn on the Cerrejón Coal corporation’s “Responsible Mining” publicity campaign, designed to highlight its own generosity towards local Colombians – since for every $1 spent on “Social Investment” benefiting local communities, $10 is spent on publicity saying, “Look! We’re Helping The Community!” Their huge PR bill should be spent on ACTUAL authentic corporate responsibility, instead of being blown in blowing their own trumpet.

More info: BHP Billiton – Dirty Energy, Alternative Annual Report 2011
• ‘BHP Billiton in Colombia – Destroying Communities For Coal’, by Richard Solly, pp4-6


Andrew Hickman, Down To Earth
Indonesia is the biggest exporter of coal in the world, commanding an estimated 1/4 share of the total global coal export market. BHPB are planing to expand their coal mining operations in Borneo, where they already have seven mining concessions, covering 355,000 hectares.

Laws designed to protect indigenous peoples and forest ecosystems have been lobbied against by BHPB. Civil society organisations in Indonesia are growing increasingly suspicious of corporate greenwash from the likes of BHPB, in the guise of ‘biodiversity offsetting’ and other business-as-usual ruses – to the point of refusing social investment money unless the principle of FPIC – Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, as enshrined in the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People – is thoroughly respected.
 
More info: BHP Billiton – Dirty Energy, Alternative Annual Report 2011
• ‘BHP Billiton in Indonesia – Going for Deadly Coal’, by Andrew Hickman, pp7-8
• ‘BHP Billiton in Indonesia – Mining for REDD a False Solution to Climate Change’, by Chris Langii, pp18-19


Andy Whitmore, Indigenous Peoples Links
Andy spoke further of the principle of FPIC – Free, Prior, and Informed Consent – and of the machinations BHPB are going through to try to make sure it has minimal to zero effect on their profitable rapacious exploitation of people and planet. Apparently BHPB are holding FPIC-related discussions with global investment banks and mineral mining industry umbrella organisations – ie: their allies in assaulting people and planet – rather than with indigenous peoples’ networking organisations, or indiginous people themselves. Given BHPB’s appallingly ugly record of maltreating indigenous people and their communities the world around, unsurprisingly the folks at Indigenous Peoples Links are skeptical about BHPB’s ability to respect the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent principle.

Andy spoke also of BHPB’s sorry track record on mining uranium in Australia. BHPB now want to expand their existing Olympic Dam underground uranium mine in South Australia, by spending five years digging out an open cast pit down to the uranium ore body – generating up to 5.9 million tonnes/year of carbon emissions, and guzzling c. 250 million litres/day of water from the Great Artesian Basin, only to turn it into liquid radioactive waste tailing lakes on the surface, to be left there forever.  BHPB are also after opening a new uranium mine in Yeelirrie, Western Australia, despite vocal opposition from just about everybody who isn’t in the pocket of BHPB.

More info: BHP Billiton – Dirty Energy, Alternative Annual Report 2011
• ‘BHP Billiton in Australia – When Too Much Influence is Never Enough’, by Julian Vincent, pp8-10
• ‘BHP Billiton in Australia – Hero or Destroyer?’, by Renae Williams and Jenita Enevoldson, p12
• ‘BHP Billiton in Australia – “Wanti” Uranium – Leave It’, by Mia Pepper, pp13-14
• ‘BHP Billiton in Australia – Irradiating the Future’, by David Noonan, pp15-17

CONFRONT BHP BILLITON, THE AGM PROTEST – Thu 20 Oct 11
On a chilly but sunny autumn morning, the OccupyLSX Camp was slowly stirring into life alongside St Paul’s Catherdral, as experienced activist Sakura, megaphone in hand, passed among the tents, cajoling and encouraging folk to join the first off-site protest: CONFRONT BHP BILLITON. We assembled before the ornate tracery of the Temple Bar archway, now barricaded with crash barriers, to prevent public access to the public space of Paternoster Square, whereupon lies the London Stock Exchange – the target of the Occupation.

Although a visitor to London, Sakura’s route planning was superb, and she proudly declared as how she’d already walked the route twice – see the 'B1. From Occupation to Confrontation – Our March Route' map above. Since both ends of the route are north of the River Thames, I’d have had us sticking to the north bank highways and byways; but taking advantage of the way the Thames throws curves through central London, Sakura led us along the Victoria Embankment on the north bank, south over the Waterloo Bridge, along the Jubilee Walkway on the south bank, then back west over the Westminster Bridge to Parliament Square – a very photogenic route, too, as you can see from the photos above. Along the way, we practised some call-&-response slogans, and took turns on the megaphone, letting onlookers know about OccupyLSX, BHPB, and their ecocrimes against people and planet by audio, placards, and flyers.

Joining the folk already assembled outside the QE2 Conference Centre, we took to “trespassing” on the raised grass triangle that faces the front of the building where BHP Billiton were holding their Annual General Meeting beanfeast – see photo ‘G3. Land and Freedom’ above. By banner and signage, drum and whistle, voices and videos, flyers and megaphone, the infamous catalogue of BHPB’s sins of commission against global ecosystems and indigenous peoples were roundly exposed and vigorously condemned.

To find out more about what occurred INSIDE the BHPB AGM, please see:

• BHP Billiton AGM protest, London, 20 October 2011, at the London Mining Netork
• » http://londonminingnetwork.org/2011/10/bhp-billiton-agm-protest-london-20-october-2011/

LINKS

BHP BILLITON TEACH-IN – Wed 19 Oct 11
• London Mining Network
» http://londonminingnetwork.org
• BHP Billiton watch
» http://bhpbillitonwatch.net
• Colombia Solidarity Campaign
» http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk
• Down To Earth
» http://www.downtoearth-indonesia.org
• Indigenous Peoples Links
» http://int.piplinks.org

CONFRONT BHP BILLITON – Thu 20 Oct 11
• BHP Billiton AGM protest, London, 20 October 2011
» http://londonminingnetwork.org/2011/10/bhp-billiton-agm-protest-london-20-october-2011/

THE LONDON/GLOBAL OCCUPATION MOVEMENT – Sat 15 Oct 11 – Ongoing
• Occupy London
» Website - http://occupylondon.org.uk
» Facebook - http://facebook.com/occupylondon
» Twitter - http://twitter.com/occupylsx
• Hashtag - #occupylsx
 
• Occupy Together
» Website - http://www.occupytogether.org
• Hashtag - #occupytogether

• United for #globalchange
» Website - http://15october.net
• Hashtag - #occupytogether

• Occupy London, Global Day of Action #15Oct - further coverage
» Indymedia London Aggregate Article - http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10420


WHATEVER NEXT?
Do please come on down to the London Occupation, for just an hour, or a day, or a week, or as long as it takes. You can discover for yourself how powerful it feels to begin giving up illusions in bourgeois representative democracy, while starting to exercise your political power DIRECTLY, in concert with other citizens of the Occupation. Once we've re-discovered how to govern ourselves - through the direct democracy of our General Assemblies - we'll be able to withdraw our consent from the corrupt and corrupting Parliament, by which the 1% capitalist plutocrats lord it over us, and enjoy the spectacle of the Palace of Westminster collapsing like a house of cards in a direct democracy earthquake.

Before visiting or joining the London Occupation, please take a look at its collective needs and wants, and see if there are practical and material ways in which you could deliver your support too:
• Donations webpage at Occupy London
» http://occupylsx.org/?page_id=192

 

Share-&-Enjoy,

Up the Revolution,

Tim Dalinian Jones

 

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Contact email: tim.dalinian.jones@gmail.com