Camp for Climate Action, Heathrow, 2007 (1/3) By Martin Deane Photographs By Amy Scaife

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3).

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3.

We got to Heathrow on Friday, parked the car (I know, but at least it was full!) - in West Drayton, and the Hull three did wend their way through the village of Sipson to the camp site. It wasn't hard - we just followed the police presence! The campsite was large - and to get larger, over 1000 by some reports. Before long we met up with other Hullees and found the Yorkshire tent dishing out loads of gorgeous food ( - for nothing just make a donation). And we caught up over fair trade teas and coffees.

A few days before, the police had invaded the camp. Protesters had come out from all over and surrounded them, holding their hands in the air and chanting "Off! Off! Off!" until the inevitable happened and the police left! The police had fenced off the field from the road with six foot high steel fencing and left just one main entrance for people to come and go by.

As a halfway measure, it was agreed that the police could regularly patrol the camp as long as they were escorted by members of the camp, showing a community face rather than an intimidating one. This largely worked very well including the fine spectacle of our mates escorting police around.

The police had also taped off the camp inside the field. They would patrol this often right up to the edge of the tape with tents just the other side. This was a very intrusive presence especially at night and from time to time camp members had to remonstrate with police to withdraw to the second tape line that had been put up across a "no-man's land". One officer shone his torch on tents at night repeatedly and had to be told to desist.

Another officer I overheard (from inside my tent) played the "Rocky" theme on his radio or phone repeatedly! A woman tackled the officers as to why they were standing so close to the inside tape. He made some excuse such as orders, and when she went away played the Rocky theme again. His colleague said: you should have played that while you were talking to her! This does not bode well for evolution!

Continued..... Next Page (2/3)

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3.

Photographs courtesy and Copyright ©  Amy Scaife 2007

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