Take action on Vestas

The protest at Vestas continues today - Vestas Blades was making enormous profits but has decided to move to the USA. This demonstrates how our government – despite big legally binding commitments to carbon reductions, and Miliband’s recent promise of 40,000 green jobs – is failing to push through sustainable energy in practice.

Photo: Turbines in Denmark

It is ludicrous that Vestas should be leaving at this time: we must resist this move or we will have no credibility internationally as part of the urgent de-carbonisation of the global economy. Green energy benefits the poorest people worldwide first, because they are the first to feel the effects of climate change. Below there is more info and actions you could take...

The national news are reporting the protestors inside and outside the Vestas plant. Climate change activists, workers and others are all protesting at this closure. See Indymedia here. The Green party have understandably supported the campaign from the start and joined the demonstrations (see one of Caroline Lucas statements here). It is complete madness that this plant is threatened with closure.

Even The Times are laying into the cops on this - one protester was even arrested for being 'armed' with a sausage roll. Here is some of what was said....a senior criminal lawyer has accused police of acting unlawfully by blocking food deliveries. Robert Brown, a member of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, said: “Since when has it been the function of police officers to starve out protesters? And since when has it been a crime to carry sandwiches to protesters? It never has been. It is scandalous that the police refused to allow the food through. Giving the protesters food would help keep them calm and be more likely to prevent a breach of the peace. There is no law in this country that says that protest is unlawful. There does not appear to be any evidence that a breach of the peace is taking place at the factory.” His custody sheet, seen by The Times, accused him of being “armed with supplies of food”. Greens object to police tactics at Vestas occupation: see here.

Take action

1. Don't forget petition just launched:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveVestas/
2. Take a photo or video and send a message proclaiming “SAVE VESTAS”:
The images will give the workers much-needed encouragement at a highly distressing time for the friends and families of the people inside. They will also be collected on Facebook (Save Vestas) and at www.savevestas.wordpress.com.
4 steps:
1. Download a sample poster here.
2. Get inspiration from an example photo here: http://bit.ly/n2x4I
3. Take some photos at a public stall, at your workplace, at a party meeting or just of yourself!
4. Send your photos in ASAP to savevestas@googlemail.com and copy if you wish to
press@greenparty.org.uk
3. Write to or Email Milliband (ps.ed.miliband@decc.gsi.gov.uk):
I sent a quick note calling for their intervention.