Solsbury Update

5th July:
Treesitters at Whitecroft were enclosed in a compound of 10ft fencing topped with razor wire. As darkness fell, a chainsaw operator in a cherrypicker crane attacked the occupied trees. Martin Ellis, who set up the tree village months earlier, fell 40ft while trying to intercept the cherrypicker. He is now recovering from punctured lungs, broken legs, cracked ribs and a fractured spine in Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The police stood by and watched complacently, despite warnings from local people that an accident was inevitable.

19th July, 1am:
100s of cardboard boxes were spread underneath the tree camps in a 4th attempt to evict. The scene was bizarre and horrific as chainsaw operators again attacked branches and bailiffs forcibly dragged protesters from trees. The climbers outsmarted the 100s of bailiffs though, and by 8pm the operation was abandoned. The next day the sheriff returned, and by the evening the last beautiful tree had been felled.

25th July:
“Operation Suits” saw activists piling into the DoT offices in Bristol. High flying execs were refused access by security on the grounds that they were environmentalists in disguise. The gatehouse was occupied by a woman in handcuffs.

28th August:
Solsbury Hill Summer Bash included workshops, picnics and walks. A peaceful and effective day of action stopped work, with security were outnumbered, Amey was shaken.

More than a dozen villagers' homes and individuals' land have now been bulldozed. People were badly treated and little compensation was offered, and most of the ecology has now been destroyed. Direct action takes place especially on Mons and Sats but there are not enough people, however, according to DoT figures the campaign has cost over £1m. The one camp left is the most strategically important as it is in the garden of a resident refusing to budge. It is also where the cut and cover is planned. It is in need of some good creative camp making. In the near future, there will be more houses to squat. A badger sett needs protecting from the diggers. After this stretch the Euro-route heads for Bristol and beyond... People, money, office and barricading equipment desperately needed.