Dead Woman's Bottom Trashed

The camps at Dead Woman's Bottom were evicted, setting a new precedent. The authorities used section 13 of a 1965 land rights act to evict the protesters. Apparently this legislation (currently being researched) relegates the protestors to the same status as the trees, meaning that they can be evicted with no notice, and that all their homes and tat can be destroyed. The police employed a swift and brutal strategy, catching everyone by surprise, arresting loads of people and immediately bailing them off site. Those remaining on site were given the option of cooperation to rescue their tat or face eviction and have their tat burned.

The police isolated the site with roadblocks to keep away ground support, legal observers and media. Therefore the removal of people from trees by diggers and an assault on an 80 year old man went unrecorded in the media blackout. The whole route was cleared in under 48 hours, despite all the defenses. The site has been levelled and the route secured with compounds.

This eviction procedure needs serious examination as does the allegation that the council sold the compulsory purchase order to ARC for L1. The extent of dangerous, illegal and generally dodgy activities needs to be challenged or else the whole protest camp tactics as we know it could be rendered futile.

Activity still continues down at the Mendip Hills, you can locate the 2 camps at OS co-ordinates, ST 716463 and ST 717461 between Nunney and Chantry Lane. Contact 017949 880 144 for more details and prisoners support on 01373 452 777.