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Climate Camp Strike Twice

August 31, 2009

Climate Campers are heading out into London after several days of learning about climate change and taking action at the Blackheath Camp. Activists are launching a ‘clean up operation’ of the Treasury at 11am today, and a flash mob at London City Airport at 12 noon.

Armed with boiler suits and cleaning equipment, the protesters will expose the Treasury’s continued dirty practice of using taxpayers’ money to fund fossil fuel extraction(1) in spite of the Government’s claim to be a global leader in the fight against climate change. The protesters will announce their presence on this ‘anti-bank holiday’ by dropping a banner proclaiming ‘Climate Change Doesn’t Take Holidays’.

Protester Nimsha Doshi says "We've had enough of false solutions and false promises. We're here to expose the Government's role as a climate criminal, and the political system's failure to fight against climate change".

At London City Airport, the campers are protesting against the recently approved 50% expansion of the airport. Local residents were outraged this July as Newham Council, supported by Mayor Boris Johnson,  agreed to allow an extra 50,000 plane journeys from the airport, bringing City's annual flight total to 120,000.(2)

Climate Camper Anna Markova said: ‘We will be there to protest against corporations driving the climate change agenda. They have pushed through the expansion of London City Airport against the wishes of the local community. This December the same big businesses will be flying from here to promote false solutions, like carbon trading, at the UN Climate Conference at Copenhagen. We can’t afford to let businesses drive us into climate crisis.’

‘London City Airport and Newham Council have cooperated to misinform and deceive the residents of South East London. The expansion means improving transport for the rich at the cost of further worsening air quality and noise pollution in the area, and eroding the health and wellbeing of local communities.’

Climate Camper Tara Williams said, ‘After a few days of workshops and training at the Camp, I’m getting ready to take direct action. Many of us who have never taken part in direct action before are now poring over maps and planning the next protests. With European Climate Exchange and Barclays targeted earlier in the week, it’s now 4 down, 18 to go…’ (3)

Ends


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Notes to Editors

  1. The Government now has a majority stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland, who fund carbon-intensive industries such as tar sands extraction in Canada.
  2. The aviation industry is the fastest growing CO2 emissions source in the UK. Nearly 30 airport expansion projects are planned in the UK at the moment. The Government plans to offset these emissions through the EU Carbon Trading scheme, which will put the burden on developing countries instead of actually lowering emissions.
  3. Climate Camp released a target list of 22 ‘climate criminals’ earlier in the week, containing the head offices of some of the country’s most polluting corporations, and departments responsible for failing climate policies.