Monday
Aug192013
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill The news this morning
Aug 19, 2013 Energy: gas Greens Environmentalists have this morning continued their campaign of intimidation, preventing employees of Cuadrilla and its PR representatives, Bell Pottinger from getting to work.
Update on Aug 19, 2013 by
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill
In related news, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has been arrested at Balcombe. I guess the message from the Greens is "Vote for anyone you like, we'll ignore any laws made anyway".
Reader Comments (127)
This is becoming really serious. The government must act and fund a really high profile police action to stop this intimidation. The lunatic minority must not be allowed to dictate against the silent majority.
Those who've glued their hands together at Bell-P's HQ, I'd just leave there.
The BBC seems unimpressed:
I repeat, the BBC seems unimpressed. How inept is that, as climate agitprop goes?
Perhaps you should add "according to nodashforgas".
According to Cuadrilla, "A small number of protesters are outside the building. Our office remains open."
OK, RIchard beat me to it by 2 minutes.
Well good grief, talk about scoring an own goal, did the board of Cuadrilla not first very carefully consider and properly - Bell Pottinger's extremely dodgy 'track record'?
Having said that, these protesters, with them there can be no reasoning, the pity of it is - there are far more important and pressing issues to make protest at.
Why is everything so
taxedexpensive - because there is too much government.Perhaps, they should be querying a government which borrows £11 billion a month, topping up a public debt reckoned to be north of £1.7 trillion and £3.5 trillion with the public sector pensions liability thrown in.
HMG, borrowing £billions, to feed a welfare state costing £200 billion p/a, a quangocracy which eats up £60 billion, payments to the EU which will exceed £20 billion p/a.
Should not these youthful and earnest but wrong headed protesters, attempt some joined up thinking - shale gas [and oil] could be a heaven sent opportunity to reverse and aid not only the exchequers empty coffers but also provide a jobs bonanza to ease the queues of jobless Britons - forsooth it is the opportunity of a generation and the young could be the main benefactors.
Fossil fuel ≠ global warming. Fossil fuel = there is no alternative.
It's ironic that their slogan is "Power to the People", isn't it?
Poor Cuadrilla!
And who supplied the notes to editors under that article about Cuadrilla blockade?
Joe Public: "Those who've glued their hands together at Bell-P's HQ, I'd just leave there."
Beat me to it, Joe. My thoughts entirely. I would also make sure that, for health and safety reasons (of course), that no-one would be allowed to approach them. I would cordon them off and leave them to their own devices. When truculent children lose the attention they seek so desperately, they soon give up and slink away.
@Messenger : Yes they've watched too many bad films. But that only goes to show what effective propaganda these discredited films have been.
@Joe public/Snotrocket : That was precisely my point yesterday about cutting off supplies to the Balcombe camp. Apparently a girl has superglued herself to the door. Yes, leave her there and see what happens when she starts soiling her underwear. But of course they have a right to protest. That is why the demonstrations should not be broken up. We should just make sure there are no heroes or martyrs, just blatant fools.
There is a small element of professional, and criminal, protest leaders behind this. Is it too much to expect that the police know these people arrest, charge them - including for incitement of others to commit crimes - and issue warnings to the others including prints and DNA that next time they too will go down.
True, but very few of the Balcombe Protestors' Troupe will be anywhere near being part of the 'starving masses', will they?
I think I would sneak some laxatives into their tofu sandwiches and see if they try doing it again.
I am just ashamed that the police refuse to act against unlawful acts. I am sure that the encampment is pot ridden. The smell of burning grass is unmistakable.
Rick Bradford,
So true Rick and I'd love to set out the reasons why - but this is not my blog and I must really endeavour to stay on topic.
John Marshall..sound like my old man!
Well direct action cuts both ways - my local Cooperative store has lost my custom.
I found this interview with Police Superintendent Lawrence Hobbs of Sussex Police regarding their tactics at Balcombe somewhat depressing. The main concern of the Police appears to be public safety, whilst their approach to dealing with the rentamob involves '... understand what they are trying to achieve and to let them know what is acceptable within the bounds of the law', which sounds to me like chatting to them and offering legal advice. Oh for the smack of firm, ah, government.
http://tinyurl.com/n2lku26
I didn't think Caudrilla employed the services of a PR firm. So far they always seem to be put on the back foot and that comes across when any of their reps are interviewed on the television.
Send in the Military will sort it very quickly
We know what they're trying to achieve, Plod. They are trying to undermine democracy, to set civilisation back 200 years, to prevent people and businesses with whom they disagree going about their lawful business.
You, Inspector, are not paid to "understand what they are trying to achieve" if only because 90% of them either don't know what they are trying to achieve or what they are trying to achieve is contrary to the wishes of the majority (or would be if it were ever properly explained to them).
Your job is to enforce the law.
Do it.
What happens if you disagree with a law? Mr Jackson
Just building on mine and some others' views on here, I think the police may be playing a longer game and applying more strategy than tactics. It goes like this:
1. Many of the rent-a-mod protesters are now on site.
2. Cuadrilla have pretty much closed down their ops.
3. The Police should throw a distant cordon around the 'camp' and prevent anyone leaving and anyone getting in: they could use H&S laws if they need.
4. Cuadrilla could then go a frack a new site and draw some more rent-a-mob to them,
5. Repeat #3 and continue until the useful idiots are too thin on the ground.
Anon
The answer (forgive me Mike) is, in a democracy, you use the many channels open to you to change the law.
The answer among the selfish, arrogant, spoiled, smug rabble who neither understand or respect democracy tends to be to ignore or break it.
Gixxerboy...is protest not a part of democracy? So in a democracy, there is no right to demonstrate?
Two points here.
Firstly, Quadrilla are drilling at Balcombe in a conventional way to explore for oil. Fracking is not involved. Someone tell the protesters...
Secondly - its the name of the process, isn't it..? With all its attendant uses - 'Frack off', etc. If it were called something like 'boring', would it have anything like the same annoyance value to opponents..?
Anon
There is the right to demonstrate. There is no right to prevent others going about their lawful business.
Hector Pascal...so you would never support any sort of demonstration that went against the law in any circumtance?
@ Anon at 1:16 PM
Where do you draw the line between 'protest' and deliberately preventing people proceeding with their law abiding business?
Would you support the good citizens of Balcolme forming a human chain around the rabble-rousers to physically prevent them 'protesting'?
Anon
You seem to have a problem with English comprehension. 'Demonstration' is not a synonym for obstruction, intimidation, trespass or commercial sabotage.
Joe Public.
If I felt as strongly as some of the people who comment on here, I certianly would be out there protesting against the protestors! The seriousness of stopping the drilling according to many commntoators here, could be catostrophic for the future of this country, so yes, I would be protesting if I felt that way.
Gixxerboy...I think Cuadrilla are big enought to look after themselves. I take it you would always obey the law of the state, no matter what?
It is time for people like us, who want a secure future for our children, to take direct action against those criminals who would happily see a UK population reduced by poverty and disease to less than 20 million as "a good thing".
I have already complained to the Sussex Police about their inaction in the face of clear breaches of the law.
I now intend to ask Katy Bourne (Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner ) to ask the Chief Constable (Martin Richards) why he is not taking action against the Balcombe protesters and (as the PCC's role is defined) "hold the Chief Constable to account for delivery and performance of the force" if he does not do so.
I advise all B.H. readers to do likelwise.
Don Keiller
Why don't you go down and campaign yourself against the campaigners? p.s who are people like us?
Sky News reporting protestors have been served with notices to clear roadway which they are blocking.
police now forcibly removing the gurriers.
Sky News
Anon asks why Don himself doesn't go. Well probably because he's got better things to do than scrap with these people. But could not one go by proxy? I would be happy to sponsor a few EDL members - who no doubt 'feel very strongly' about cheap power, and 'have no other way of getting their views heard' to go down and subject the anti-frackers to a crash course of re-education. If its always OK for a Leftist mob to make itself a nuisance, why is it not OK to have a Rightist mob there too, sticking it too them? if its always OK for 'Progressives' to sabotage/reduce to chaos the marches and demonstrations of those they allege to be 'Fascists' why should not the chaps of the EDL do the same to those who they allege to be Socialist wreckers?
Bill, I think it's always best to leave the EDL out of most situations! They would more than likely fight the police or each other. If those who say that stopping drilling is going to kill millions of people or reduce this country to a terrible place can't be bothered to head down there, then I would question the strength of belief in their statements on this niche blog!
An arrest at Balcombe this afternoon: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSCHVEvCUAASRZR.jpg:large
Two more tweets:
No Dash for Gas @nodashforgas 6m
Police in #balcombe have only one response to peaceful protest at #reclaimthepower: violence
peterwalker99 @peterwalker99 36m
Man being handcuffed, face down on road. He shouts, "I'm not resisting, please get off me. "
Anon,
I cannot speak for anyone else here, but the reasons why I haven’t gone over to Balcombe to counter demonstrate are twofold. Firstly, I have to work. If I don’t work, then my bills, including my gas bill, don’t get paid. Secondly, it would be the wrong tactic anyway. The presence of a counter demonstration would act only to inflame the situation. The Police would then have the excuse that all their available manpower would have to be spent keeping the two sides apart to prevent possibly violent disturbance of the peace. It would only serve to give them the justification to continue their self-interpreted role as mediators rather than upholders of the law. As it stands, the longer the Police allow the demo to stop lawful activity, the more public opinion will turn against both them and the “protestors”. That may well provoke different policing attitudes at the next site the “protestors” descend upon.
PS Please be assured that all other avenues of protest open to me are being pursued. I’ve been having an exchange of emails with my MP since this affair started and have encouraged others to do the same. The editor of my local paper tells me that letters he has received on the subject have turned from a 4 to 1 ratio in support of the demo to a complete reversal of 4 to 1 against over the last 10 days.
Anon- as it happens I will be down in Sussex next weekend, visiting my in-laws.
If I can find time to visit Balcombe, I will. In any case I intend to go prepared- I will make up some appropriate posters and leaflets.
Finally this will be my first and last communication to you.
I do not habitually feed trolls.
Don Keiller.
"I advise all B.H. readers to do likelwise."
On it right now.
If elderly people die of hypothermia next winter and if we have power cuts when all the green energy policies have come into effect will we be able to sue the anti-frackers? Since a lot of them are luvies and similar types they should be able to cough up quite a lot in compensation.
It's odd the way activists always invoke "democracy".
Protest is tolerated as the right of those individuals who don't agree with democratic decisions to still have their voices heard - it has nothing to do with democracy per se.
The licence given to Cuadrilla is the legal act of a democratically elected government - and therefore represents the outcome of the process of democracy.
Protesting against such decsions may sometimes be justifiable, or even laudable - but it ain't democratic.
Trying to thwart legal, democratic outcomes by force or obstruction is actually a direct assault on our democracy.
It looks as if the police have finally decided to do something. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23753750
Another tweet to make Don a little happier:
No Dash for Gas @nodashforgas 3m
Mass arrests now of people staging sit-in at #Balcombe blockade. Caroline Lucas MP about to be arrested #reclaimthepower #fracking
What a surprise that the police are finally doing something. Not. This isn't even 1% of the challenge of the miners strike of 84-85. I stand by my comment on Judy Curry's on 28th June that shale is a death-trap for UK greens that they haven’t begun to face up to. As someone just said on another thread, what's not to like?
Foxgoose Aug 19, 2013 at 3:11 PM
Spot on; but I think we're giving
anonthe latest troll too much oxygen.