Over the last six months the protectors at the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp have campaigned hard against fracking in Salford – and their bravery, imagination and determination has delighted, shocked and surprised many people.
The protectors – hundreds of people from Salford Greater Manchester and beyond – have certainly achieved their aim of raising awareness of what might be about to happen on Barton Moss and, according to survey after survey, have turned local public opinion definitively against fracking, despite smear campaigns, Greater Manchester Police brutality and absolute silence from Salford City Council and its Mayor.
With the IGas exploratory drills now gone from Barton Moss, the Camp is winding down, and there's going to be a party to celebrate its existence on Saturday night, from 6pm until late at the site off Liverpool Road in Irlam.
Salford's punk rap posse, Class Actions, are organising the party `to say thank you to the Protection Camp for their great work this side of the East Lancs' and will be performing tracks off their new mix tape as well having a vigil for Hillsborough victims and playing Rip Up The Sun, a slag off for Rupert Murdoch. The event was inspired by a placard which stated 'Hillsborough To Barton Moss, Question The Police Version Of Everything'…
"This event and the accompanying mixtape is about solidarity pure and simple" says Aslan AK, Class Actions' frontman "Football rivalries are irrelevant when tragedies like Hillsborough come in to play. Let's hope 25 years on we finally get justice for the 96.
"The Sun infamously printed lies about Liverpool fans and is also pro-fracking, both Hillsborough and Barton Moss have been victims of establishment fabrication" he adds "With this in mind I felt that Barton Moss would be a very symbolic place to show solidarity with the Hillsborough victims. I am hoping that by conducting the vigil and releasing the mixtape that we send a strong message of solidarity down the East Lancs. The Hillsborough struggle is a struggle for any decent human being to support. JFT96."
Also performing will be Markus De Rawkus, who has been well involved with Barton Moss, and Salford poet Intoxikie, who says…
"I'm performing at Barton Moss this Saturday to rock the mic with Class Actions and blast Rip Up The Sun once again. An exciting song to perform, especially with an enthusiastic audience. Saturday is about showing respect to the victims at Hillsborough in 96, it's about solidarity and good times as well. It's great to bring people together through anything whether it's music or anything else."
The party will see the close of the Barton Moss Camp but from Sunday onwards there's going to be a clean up of the site with flowers and tree planting. For further details of this see the Facebook group `Clean Up and Packing Up at the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp - click here.
Meanwhile, IGas is set to return in September and as anyone at the Camp will tell you, for Salford, this phase at Barton Moss has only been the beginning…
In the next few articles the Salford Star talks to some of the protectors at Barton Moss about the first phase of the anti-fracking protest, and over the coming weeks we will be presenting articles about the Camp that we just couldn't fit in during the last few months as the drama unfolded day by day…
Stories from Barton Moss - Part 1: The Salford Protector - click here
Main photo by Steven Speed
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