Created by: AnonymousUser.<br/>
User 'yossarian' did: promote at Wed Sep 16 18:59:35 +0000 2009.<br/>truetrue
<p>Earlier today, protesters arrived by power-boat this morning to occupy<br />cranes and vessels at the Southampton docks, using the city's Boat Show as<br />cover.<br /><br />Coming from the Vestas factory blockade on the Isle Of Wight, the group<br />aim to prevent the loading of wind-turbine blades from the Newport plant,<br />which was closed in July with the loss of 600 jobs. (1)<br /><br />Climate activists have been joined joined by members of the island<br />community, and workers from the factory. The activists have locked<br />themselves to a crane loading blades onto the ship BBC Ohio in Empress<br />Dock, while displaying banners saying "Wind power to the people." (2)<br /><br />Others have occupied the so-called 'Blade Runner' barge which is needed to<br />fetch the remaining blades from the St Cross factory in Newport. They have<br />a banner which reads, "Our blades, Our power." The barge is visible to the<br />east from the Town Quay, which is also a Red Star Terminal for Isle of<br />Wight passengers.<br /><br />On the crane at Empress Dock, Jackie Sheedy said, "After the factory<br />occupation ended, Vestas and the government hoped we'd all just quieten<br />down. But we're united in this blockade. The island workers need those<br />jobs, and we all need them if we want even a chance of combating climate<br />change for our children."<br /><br />Speaking by phone from the occupied Blade Runner barge, Robin from the<br />Climate Camp, said "Workers like Jamie were victimised and robbed of their<br />redundancy pay for taking a stand on behalf of all of us. If Vestas want<br />the blockade lifted, they had better start talking about re-instatement<br />and terms. And if the government want the protests to end they had better<br />drop the greenwash and start taking some real action for a renewable power<br />industry in this country."<br /><br />"We made these blades, and now Vestas want to take their profits and leave<br />us high and dry," said ex-Vestas worker Jamie Rigby, one of 11 workers<br />sacked for occupying their factory after Vestas announced the mass lay-off<br />in July. The occupation ended in August after 18 days, and on that<br />occasion Jamie leapt uninjured from a balcony rather than be escorted out<br />by bailiffs.<br /><br />Police have cordoned off the area, and threatened the protesters with the<br />use of Anti-terror laws, describing their actions as a "threat to national<br />security".<br /><br />Contact:press@climatecamp.org.uk<br />07772 861 099<br />07040 900 905<br />http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/press</p>
<p>________________________<br /><br />NOTES FOR EDITORS<br /><br />(1) Other sacked Vestas workers are at the TUC conference in<br />Liverpool, lobbying the labour movement for solidarity action and<br />support on Thursdays "National Day of Action," while workers from the<br />Lush Cosmetics factory in Poole, Dorset, are taking part in direct<br />action training at the Vestas Marine Gate blockade on the<br />Newport-Cowes cycle path, Newport IOW.<br /><br />(2) Location: BBC Ohio and cranes - Empress Dock, Eastern Docks, Southampton<br />Blade Runner barge - Opposite Town Quay, (Red Funnel Terminal)<br />Best view: Blade Runner east from Town Quay;<br />BBC Ohio and cranes - restricted access through Oceanographic Centre,<br />or by sea/air.<br /></p>
2009-09-16T11:29:41+00:002445promotedrelayer<p>Arrests have just been made on the Isle of Wight of protesters occupying a<br /> crane to prevent the transportation of Vestas wind turbine blades. There<br /> are still protesters occupying another crane, more arrests are expected<br /> within 35 minutes.</p>Arrests of Vestas protestors2009-09-16T18:59:35+00:00