Benedict writes:

Hoo is a small village in Kent. It’s community notice board warns of an increase in anti social behaviour and a new crackdown by police.

So the posting of 1400 drawn from forces across the UK should mean that property damage, drunken violence and graffiti would be a thing of the past. 

 However as the village closest to climate camp protesting the building of a new coal fired power station at nearby Kingsnorth Hoo can’t expect better policing.

Because those police appear to be embarked on a sinister and cynical attempt to use powers brought in to prevent serious crime to end any protest against the proposed plant. And yet this sinister intent is being rolled out in a way fitting of an Ealing film comedy from the 1950s.

As of this morning the whole of the Hoo peninsular is covered by Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. This act allows the police to stop and search anyone if a superintendent or above reasonably believes that incidents involving serious violence may occur.

Yesterday when Section 60 only covered the area around the camp I went to see for myself what it was like.

While walking down the lane to the camp I was directed by an officer to join what was a very orderly queue to be searched.  When asked why, I was told that she ‘didn’t know anything’. Inside, an officer searched me under section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act. The searching officer didn’t know who had authorised the searches. It was a ‘superintendent Hunt something’. Once I had been frisked and my bag and wallet had been searched I was free to go. So clutching my pink search receipt I carried on up the lane. I had to show my slip to a further three officers before finally climbing over the style into the camp. 

Overall the effect of the police presence is intimidating. The searches are more thorough than those being required to gain entrance into high risk public buildings and climate campers reported threats of strip searches.

Police are also using the searches to implement an unprecedented mass confiscation of materials including the downright ridiculous. Officers have taken soap because it was believed to be useful for making protestors slippery; a clown costume that might be used to cause a public nuisance, as well as a book about public order policing (that could help protestors carry out public order'). During my search the only media I saw within the police shelter was the reporter of the police in house magazine.

After a pleasant day of workshops and discussions with local residents I tried to leave, only to be searched again. The officer from West Yorkshire said he had grounds to search based on a document posted on the local police station wall. Presumably he had a map on how to get to the police station if he needed to refer to the document. Could that be why the section 60 area was extended?

Kent police famously declined to stop illegal raves because of ‘health and safety’ concerns so I hardly think they can be sending a message that illegal activity is cracked down on heavily in Kent.

I can only conclude therefore that the police are systematically using their powers in a blunt but disorganised attempt to inconvenience and criminalise the climate camp to discourage future protests.

I can’t help but wonder what those people being affected by climate change right now must think when they see the police in the UK going to such lengths to stop a protest against a global injustice. What they would do if they could afford to leave their struggle for day to day survival and come to Kent and how would the police respond?

In the meantime the message from the police is that if you are a hoodie in Hoo you can carry on. If you look like you are going to the climate camp you should leave your soap at home.

Editor's note: the pink slip pictured is not a description of Benedict.

Katherine writes from climate camp:

Climate camp is a unique place.  In an attempt to give a flavour of the atmosphere, here are a few snapshots from the last few days... Chopping veg in the London kitchen accompanied by some great gospel singing, there's no rota, people just volunteer and it all gets done (this to provide meals for 400 plus hungry London neighbourhood campers, quite a feat in a field don't you think?)  Kids delighting in playing on a wooden pirate ship, an impromptu cricket match yesterday evening.  A friendly welcome tent volunteer giving guided tours around the site to all new arrivals.  Campers lugging straw bales around the site to ensure we have fresh smelling toilets - all the bales will go to be used for compost, far more pleasant, environmentally friendly and sustainable than the toilets you'd usually get spending several days in a field.  Thought provoking discussions in workshops...there is both a reassuring common purpose here, to take grassroots action to stop dangerous climate change, and a challenging and positive diversity of views. 

But the word that best describes everything going on at climate camp is inspirational.  For me this has been exemplified nowhere more so than within the Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway group.  This group of local residents only formed six weeks ago and within that short space of time they have achieved amazing things.  This week alone members of the group have been involved in building the site.  They have responded to endless media requests for local comments, as well as holding a press stunt.  They have held a meeting to let other local people find out more about the group.  They were there on the frontline on Monday defending the camp against intimidating police activity, during which Andy, the group's press contact, addressed the activists and police giving his reasons for being at the camp, to huge applause.  Andy says that a couple of months ago he couldn't have imagined being in that position and that the experience of the past few weeks has been life-changing for him and his wife Claire.  They and the KCAM group as a whole are brave, admirable people, and it's a privilege to be working with them.  Inspiration indeed.

Thanks to Indymedia for this one: (and Greenpeace for sending it to me!)

E.ON’s replica of the Kingsnorth coal-fired power station has been occupied by one inch tall climate change campaigners. The drama unfolded at the Legoland park in Windsor – sponsored by E.ON – where the Lego Kingsnorth is given pride of place next to Big Ben and Canary Wharf.

The Lego campaigners struck as hundreds of people gather at this year’s Climate Camp to protest the planned new coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent.

The six campaigners appeared at the top of the construction at around 11am this morning, before unveiling a banner saying STOP CLIMATE CHANGE down the length of the tower. Lego police are in attendance at the foot of the tower, along with a Lego police helicopter.

E.ON proudly announced the construction of Britain’s newest coal-fired station at Legoland in 2006. The German utility giant is Britain's single biggest greenhouse gas polluter. The company is aiming to have Kingsnorth 2 built by 2012. Despite claims that the new plant will be more efficient, it is estimated that it will emit 8.4 million tonnes of climate changing pollutants every year, compared to the 8.7 million tonnes the existing plant releases annually, and nowhere near the 80% reductions needed to combat global warming.

Neither the campaigners nor the police would comment, because they’re made of Lego and therefore can’t talk.

See the Indymedia page here

Visit the Lego activist online http://uk.youtube.com/user/legoactivist

Tim writes from the camp:

One joy of climate camp is the random conversations with strangers. On Wednesday morning I  sat in the welcome tent with a new arrival trying to work out the chemical reasons why coal is the most carbon polluting fossil fuel. Geeks.

On Tuesday I spent five minutes explaining the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to an interested police officer. Earlier I had taken part in a workshop on the EU Trading Scheme. It may not be as interesting as 'Recycled bicycle chain jewellry, but it is very important.

Whilst it takes a workshop to properly describe it, the EU Trading Scheme works as a giant offsetting project. European companies are set targets to make small reductions in emissions, or pay for someone else to do so. The government and Eon use the EU Trading Scheme to justify building a new coal power station at Kingsnorth; they claim its emissions will need to be offset elsewhere.

The fact Eon want to build a new coal power station to generate electricity for the next 30 years shows that the Emissions Trading Scheme is not working. If the EU Trading Scheme were working to tackle climate change, it would not be worth it for Eon to invest in new coal.

When discussing complex government schemes on climate change we can forget the simple facts: people around the world are already dying from the impacts of climate change. Anymore emissions will make this worse. For our sisters and brothers around the world, Kingsnorth must not be built. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme won't stop it. We need something which will.

Time spent cycling to generate the electricity for this blog: 10 minutes