Earth First! Action Update
Archive of the Earth First! Action Update – the newsletter of the UK EF! network 1991-2012
EFAU 13 - January 1995Back to list of articles in this issue

Wood You Credit It?

1994 saw intermittent activity on the tropical timber trade, but the destruction in Brazil continues apace. New reports of illegal logging constantly emerging. The Brazilian trade controls are useless and the non-trade organisations have no real power. The forests are being massacred.

November saw a week of CRISPO seizures of Mahogany around the country. Across the country, pieces of stolen timber emerged on police station desks. The main targets were Jewsons and their owners Meyer International. So they are now visiting Brazil with environmentalists in February to see for themselves’, so actions against them have been called off until March 31st.

DBY are the biggest mahogany importers and in case you’d like to say hello to them, the office is at 8 Leighton Rd, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 7LF. A full list of importers and brilliant update is available from CRISPO, at Norwich EF! Look out soon for some serious office occupations and ship actions at Heysham, Lancashire. Does your local port deal in this deadly trade? If so, lock-on!

We can surely finish off the mahogany trade this year - get on the network, get in touch.

CRISPO Arrests

On 10th of December, CRISP (Citizens’ Recovery of Indigenous peoples’ Stolen Property) Officers liberated two pieces of mahogany - to return to their rightful owners, from Jewsons in Cardiff. A statement was given to manager of the store saying that he was handling stolen property & that there would be a legal investigation into his store handling stolen goods.

At the same time as the action was taking place a statement was being delivered to Central Cardiff Police Station. When the officers returned the wood to the central police station, in the view of the local press, the Officers, their Legal Observers & the person delivering the statement to the police station where all arrested on conspiracy of theft.

The statement asked that the Police look into the case of Jewsons handling stolen goods. The CRISP people are bailed to appear at the Police Station on Feb 4th and action will be taken, depending on whether Jewsons & the Crown Prosecution Service wish to press charges.