Climate Camp Wales Has Begun.

And ended about 18 hours later.

I've always thought the idea of holding small, regional protests rather then large, national protests is a bit silly. As if to prove just how silly on August 13th Climate Camp Cymru (Wales) set itself up on the protected ruins of a Roman fort within the exclusion zone around the proposed extension to the Selar opencast mine. This new extension is expected to make an awful lot of money for the mine operator (Celtic Energy) and the landowner. Local politicians have been swayed in favour of the proposal because it promises to bring a small number of jobs to a part of South Wales with very high levels of unemployment. Due to very environmentally damaging nature of opencast mining local residents are not so keen on the idea. This has provoked a long running and bitter dispute between Celtic Energy along with the local courts against the the local residents who don't want the mine extension to go ahead.

As soon as the camp set up on the Friday the mine operator and the landowner started putting pressure on the local police to take action. They also started putting pressure on Cadw who are responsible for historic sites in Wales. By the time Cadw had got onto the police on the Saturday the police had had enough and suggested that the 30 or so Climate Campers left the site. Very sensibly the campers agreed and left. They have since set up a new site on the Gower Peninsula near Swansea however this is not so much a protest camp as a large family going on a camping holiday in the Welsh countryside. On the plus side though in preparation for the Welsh Climate Camp the Brits had prepared lots of news stories about how brilliant opencast mining and how wonderful everyone in Britain thinks it is because it brings jobs. Now the camps been moved all those stories have had to be pulled.

The Climate Camp proper will take place somewhere in Scotland sometime later in August. On August 28th the English Defence League (EDL) will be attempting to provoke a race riot in Bradford. Obviously already running scared the EDL have timed this to co-incide with the Notting Hill Carnival in the hope that the clash of events will minimise any opposition. While the police are fully aware of the EDL's plans this is one occasion when I think it would be a good idea to hold a counter-demonstration against the EDL. If there is not a multi-racial presence in Bradford that weekend and it does end in violence the Crown will be quick to impose very heavy sentences on any Muslims who try to prevent their friends being beaten up or the property being destroyed while the EDL trouble makers are once again allowed to get away with it.

Elsewhere Paul Kagame has been re-elected as President of Rwanda with some 90% of the vote. This is no great surprise but something I need to go it to in more at some point over the next seven years. Also I've yet to hear that Wyclef Jean has withdrawn his candidacy for President of Haiti. Therefore I think it's time for me to read up on Haiti's constitution to see if it's possible to suspend the election.

All this does rather underline why my time is too valuable to be wasted by jumped up local Magistrates. Unfortunately I spent a large part of the day getting in contact with Croydon Magistrates Court. After about a dozen attempts and one polite threat they finally decided it might be a good idea to answer the telephone. They're adamant they're going to be sticking to their time wasting path so on Thursday (19/8) I'll be going in to pay the fees up front, mainly because I like the idea of a Court owing me money. Also today everybody who signed the petition against the conduct of the henhouse received a response from CAYSH. I can't really be bothered to post it up because it's just the usual fairy story about they can't do anything for months. I believe the correct legal for the document is "a work of fiction."