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Video report - Climate Camp city takes shape

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Enough to go around? Picture by Peter Still
Enough to go around? Picture by Peter Still

Camp for Climate Action is quickly taking shape on a remote field on Medway’s rural edge.

On Friday the Medway Messenger was first in the media queue for a tour of the site by eco-activists fast setting up home at Deangate Ridge, Hoo.

The first 100 arrived on Wednesday. More than 3,000 are expected to join them as the week of protest against plans to buld a new coal fired plant at Kingsnorth finally gets underway.

It wasn’t supposed to have been here. The first choice location for the tented city was land close to the Sturdee Sports and Social Club, Hoo, but a clash with an annual bikers event forced a rethink. It means the original site design, set out in an Camp newsletter, has had to be revised.

But protesters seem more than happy with their Dux Court Road des res, particularly now agreement has been reached with the tenant farmer over their unscheduled stop-over.

Want to know more?Click here to visit our Climate Camp 08 special report

An understanding has now been met whereby as long as campers look after the fields sheep - which have now been penned in - and keep any dogs on leads they have the farmer’s apparent blessing. It is not known if the Ministry of Defence, which owns the land, are so keen on the arrangment.

Police guard the entrance to the camp alongside protestors. Officers walk around the uncultivated field, but only under camper escort.

Campers say that Southern Water has organised a water supply with Medway Council delivering skips for the site’s rubbish.

Wheelie bins are also dotted around the camp, clearly labelled with what should be placed in them, whether it be cans, paper or plastic.

Protestors are to stay in marked out ‘neighbourhoods’ which have been organised between people from different parts of the country.

However a lack of interest has meant a separate Medway camp looks unlikely, and instead any locals wanting to stay on site will have to pick between London or the South coast to get the nearest geographical region to the Towns.

Each neighbourhood is to hold daily meetings to facilitate group decisions. A spokesperson will then be sent to the main camp meeting in a bid to allow all participants to get their points across and show that there is no need for one manager or a hierarchy.

Money for the camp comes from donations, and people are asked to pay £4 a day to go towards three hot vegan meals, which use local organic ingredients. Each neighbourhood cooks for themselves, with supplies dished out from the main kitchen.

Power comes in the form of solar panels which are mounted to the top of a truck, building work for wind power is also underway.

Toilets are compost based and look like any other, the only difference is you don’t flush but rather put down sawdust. Manure collected from these and from any food waste will be given to farmers and is believed to be the best type of manure around.

As the official start date of the camp - Monday, August 3 - draws closer the camp will begin taking a more permanent appearance. Today (Friday) 14 more marquees are due to arrive and will house numerous workshops planned throughout the week. Protesters say legal, media and finance tents will ensure that every eventuality is catered for.

Climate camper Isabelle Michel said: “This site is beautiful and right in the heart of the Kent countryside. Last year we were right next to Heathrow airport and surrounded by buildings this year the site is much nicer.”

“We will definitely make sure we can cater for at least 3,000 protestors. Everyone really is welcome. The site is really sophisticated and we have thought of everything, from our entertainment area to a mediation tent. This is a definite example of a sustainable living environment.”

“The police are just something we will have to put up with, whether they are driving through the field or flying over head in the helicopter. We haven’t had any contact with E.ON, I guess we wouldn’t rule out having a debate with them about the issues we are protesting about, but it would be something we would have to all agree on as a group, but it certainly wouldn’t be a negotiation.”

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