Star date: 11th March 2014

HIGH NOON DRAMA AS ANTI FRACKING CAMP GETS LEAVE TO APPEAL EVICTION

Defendants from the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp have been given leave to go to the Court of Appeal in London to contest the possession order granted to Peel Holdings yesterday. Judge Pelling gave the defendants until noon today to sort out the appeal and, as news reached the Camp just after noon, there were cheers and shouts of defiance.

Another dramatic day at Barton Moss came complete with a three and half hour lock-on and long delays to lorry deliveries, met with more Greater Manchester Police aggression and arrests as Salford people begin to take the lead in the protests.

Full details here…

As the clock ticked towards noon today there was much trepidation at the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp as protectors waited for a message from barristers at the Court of Appeal.

Yesterday, at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Judge Pelling had found in favour of Peel Holdings' attempt to gain a possession order over the land and evict those staying on the Camp. He'd given barristers just 24 hours to challenge his decision at the Court of Appeal in London (for details see previous Salford Star article – click here).

Finally, just after noon, Martin Burke, one of the defendants in the case, relayed the good news by megaphone… "The Court of Appeal has granted us a stay" he said to huge cheers and shouts of defiance "The case will be heard urgently some time later this week possibly.

"The reason why we're doing this is to highlight the fact that fracking is highly dangerous" he added "And I just want to pay tribute to the courage of the people who have been staying here."

About thirty yards away from the media scrum around Martin, in the middle of Barton Moss Road, two protectors – including one from Salford - who had locked-on to a `Russian doll' of pipes were being slowly cut free by the Greater Manchester Police Protester Removal Team.

They would eventually delay delivery lorries to the the IGas exploratory drilling site by three and a half hours. At the same time, another protector had locked-on up a tree.

Watching the drama were treble the number of people who usually attend the daily protest - hanging out on the road and field around the Camp, making it almost a festival atmosphere as the sun shone. While the Court of Appeal wheels are whirring, the Camp is not only as effective as ever but more popular than ever.

And, despite slurs from the national media, more and more people from Salford and Greater Manchester are getting involved. As well as the first lock-on today by a man from Eccles (his fellow lockee was from Wigan), local residents also took the initiative later in the morning when the convoy started crawling its way down Barton Moss Road towards the IGas exploratory drilling site.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police were busy pushing and hurrying campaigners slow walking in front of the lorries, when the healthy contingent of Salford residents suddenly decided that they had had enough and sat down in the road complaining about their treatment.

Others followed and, as the heavy handed Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) was brought in, there was an arrest as officers continued to push campaigners forward. Indeed, all the way down the road to the IGas site entrance there was pushing, shoving, snatch arrests and aggression from officers as, at certain flashpoints, the protest was bordering on the dangerous with people falling over each other and objects at the side of the road in the mayhem. One man said he was punched by a TAU officer.

"I thought it was absolutely disgusting but it's nothing new, they do this to us all the time" said Frank from Irlam "It's just out and out sheer thuggery, there's no need for it at all."

Alice Searle, from Kersal, came to Barton Moss for the first time today…

"I was really amazed, pleased to see so many people, and when I first arrived the police just seemed to be stood around watching" she recalled "But when the lorries came their attitude changed totally. They became very, very dominant, very power ridden, yet the protectors were still being peaceful, they sat down at one time and sang songs

"The police were obviously very frustrated, they let them sit for about five minutes and then started really pushing people" she added "They targeted one man, arrested him and took him to the van. While they were sort of boasting about their tactics and what had happened, suddenly the person they arrested rushed out of the van, flung his arms in the air and shouted `Freedom!'...They were all a bit startled, jumped on him, and took him back into the van."

"I saw that as such a wonderful statement of what this is all about" she explained "Freedom…freedom for us to defend our earth, freedom to defend the sort of lives that we want, against the police who are being very bullying. And we pay their salaries. That, I think, is disgusting, that they've forgotten who they are working for."

With the full force of the state – the politicians, the police, the corporations and the High Court – bearing down on anti-fracking campaigners in Salford, today's stay of execution lifted the mood.

"I think humanity has prevailed today" said Kevin Done from Irlam "It's justice to the Camp really, justice to our community what's happened today. I'm elated. It's given us a bit more hope going forward.

"When the protectors do leave and move onto a new site, the community will take control" he added "We'll just keep coming back to stand in front of the trucks. And if they come back in September for a social licence we'll be here to greet them too…"

Barton Moss Protection Camp is very much alive and kicking, with the local community more and more empowered to take over the reins in the near future.

Today's anthem as people were being pushed down the road was You'll Never Walk Alone…

Photos by Steven Speed

For more photos - click here