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Gordon eco-warriors prepare for 'unfinished business'

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Photo by Kristian Buus / GREENPEACE
Photo by Kristian Buus / GREENPEACE

Greenpeace activists show no sign of ending the latest protest against plans for a new coal-fired power station at Hoo.

Shortly before noon on Wednesday a flotilla of boats, led by the Rainbow Warrior, attempted to land on the 700 metre coal jetty .

Around 30 succeeded in getting onto the jetty where they remained for around half an hour before leaving after reaching an agreement with E.ON, owners of the Kingsnorth power plant.

It gave the protesters enough time to hold a short ceremony on behalf of the victims of climate change with flags signifying the world’s 30 least polluting countries.

Greenpeace gave E.ON bosses about an hour's notice of their planned ambush in a phonecall and fax from director John Sauven.

The Medway Messenger understands an intial deal offered by plant bosses to allow some protesters onto the site via the main gate was rejected.

Bosses have gone to the High Court to get an order banning the eco-armada, which remains locked to the quay.

Six campaigners have set up camp on an island in the River Medway. Their mission - to complete "unfinished business" from an attempted takeover at Kingsnorth in October 2007.

Once dusk fell they planned to project the words 'Gordon Bin It' on the side of the power plant's chimney.

The group includes two of the activists cleared of last month by a jury of causing £30,000 of damage by attempting to paint the same words down the side of the stack.

They got as far as daubing Gordon before the protest was aborted in October 2007.

Speaking to the Medway Messenger from the island. protester Ben Stewart, said: "We are going to finish that message because we really are asking Gordon Brown to not give the go ahead to E.ON to build another coal fired power station."

Sadly technical difficulties with a generator have so far prevented the protesters from carrying out their plan last night.

The proposed new plant supporters say, would emit the same amount of carbon dioxide as those 30 nations combined.

The latest Kingsnorth ambush comes a month after six Greenpeace campaigners were cleared by a crown court of causing criminal damage the last time the environment group entered the Kingsnorth site.

A Maidstone jury concluded the activists were justified in shutting the power station in order to prevent emissions because coal is such a significant contributor to climate change.

• Follow the day's action on our Reporter's Notebook blog.

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