Star date: 11th April 2014

STORIES FROM BARTON MOSS – Part 1

"I've learned a lot coming down here, to stand up for myself and don't stick your head in the sand" Scott, Salford protector

Thousands of people have been involved in the Barton Moss anti-fracking campaign, from Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond. The Salford Star talked to two of these people, one from Salford and one from outside Salford, to see what has been achieved by the Community Protection Camp.

Here Scott, from the Seedley/Langworthy area, who has never been involved in any protest before, tells his story.

Full details here…

Scott Cooper and his family, from the Seedley/Langworthy area have been coming down to Barton Moss on a regular basis, on both regular lorry walk ins and walk outs, and on the various rallies that have happened in both Manchester and Salford. Here is his story in his own words…

"I didn't know anything about fracking and I didn't know anything about the site because it's not in my area. I did a lot of research into what fracking is on the net and thought `We can't have this around here, show a bit of local support' so I came down just before Christmas to see what was going on.

I was put off before that because watching the live streaming with the police brutality, things looked intimidating. The first time I was here it was very intimidating but I just learned to watch my steps. I heard that the police were on about the locals not wanting `them' around here, but they are great people, not threatening like they said they were. Everyone's been great. I've learned a lot coming down here, to stand up for myself and don't stick your head in the sand.

We've been getting down here when we can, it's a family thing. I think my grand-daughter is the youngest activist on the site. She's two. And when she sees the police she kicks and thumps. That's how she sees police now, having seen them on the site. It's awful for such a young person to pick that up.

This is the first thing I've ever done and I've really enjoyed it. The first march I ever went on was from the AJ Bell Stadium to here, and then I went on the Manchester one – I can honestly say that I've never sat down in Oxford Road before! My whole family enjoyed the day, it was peaceful.

To be honest, Barton Moss has opened my mind up to what's going on. I used to get all my stuff from the news – BBC, North West Tonight, things like that but actually being here on site and watching it on tv is a different kettle of fish. The tv are not showing what's actually going on, it's massively edited. The tv are showing what they want to show – that the protectors are all violent when they're not, it's totally different. The only way I've been intimidated down here is by the police.

There's a picture that the Manchester Evening News always use. It's of Markus [from Irlam] shouting, being made to look violent towards the police when it wasn't like that at all. When the police were arresting Vanda he was shouting `What the hell are you doing?'. They captured his mouth open wide shouting half way through `hell' and they are always using that picture because it looks violent.

The police have been violent, to me a few times – they've stood on my foot and told me to move. I said `Well if you get off my foot I will move'. When they arrest people for pushing back into the officers it's when they've got their fist into your lower back. If that happens of course you're going to lean back – it's just a tactic, an excuse to drag people out. But the fists are not an approved Home Office tactic, I believe.

The Salford councillors and Mayor are saying they can't get involved in Barton Moss because they won't be able to vote on the fracking issue but no Irlam councillors are on the planning committee, and there's the Localism Act which means that they can get involved with planning issues but have to have an open mind when it gets to planning. Instead they are just ignoring the fact that this is here. I've emailed the Council a few times and I've not had one reply back. I've put a complaint in that they've not replied and they've ignored that too!

I believe that one person can't change things, it takes a group, and the more people who get involved the more change you can do. It's not going to happen overnight and while people may say `Oh it's a waste of time doing anything it's not going to change anything', I believe it will change if enough people protest or get their point out there.

I'm going to keep active and we're now going to keep in touch with other Salford people and families and try and keep the ball rolling, get more local support and get the message out there. I'll be back in September."

See also Barton Moss Salford Farewell (for now!) Party - click here

See Part 2 - The Barton Moss Protector's Story - click here (with lots of links to Salford views on Barton Moss)

Main photo by Steven Speed