Greenpeace Protesters Occupy Coal Train

[mainframe444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-29334128

Greenpeace activists have taken control of a train carrying 1,500 tonnes of coal to a power station, the campaign group said.

The freight train was heading to Cottam power station in north Nottinghamshire when 50 people flagged it down.

The protesters said the train is now blocking the main supply route to the coal-fired power station and they are unloading the wagons.

British Transport Police said it was responding to an incident.

A life-sized replica polar bear has been placed on the tracks at the front of the train, preventing it from moving....

 

[ExRes]

Pathetic idiots, hopefully they'll all get put away and be forced to pay for the financial losses and clear up costs

 

[ainsworth74]

Wouldn't taking the coal constitute theft? It's one thing to 'protest' but another to make off with the cargo whilst doing it!

I certainly hope that the necessary authorities throw the proverbial book at them.

 

[Manchester77]

While I understand that the protesters want to make a statement in protest of the continued use of fossil fuels the method of doing so is incredibly foolish. Firstly, the BBC shows them walking in the four foot way! This put both their lives in danger but also could have caused great distress to any train driver had they hit any one of the people on the track. It's also worrying that they flagged down a train using industry standard flags, I wonder whether the ORR/Network Rail would consider making the flags more unique looking.

 

[cf111]

Has the "trick" of activists using red flags as an emergency stop signal not been used before?

 

[Monty]

Has the "trick" of activists using red flags as an emergency stop signal not been used before?

Yes, this not the first time a coal train had been stopped by protestors.

 

[aylesbury]

Agree they endangered their lives they should be removed and taken to court as quickly as possible. Obstructing the railway is an offence no pussyfooting around get them off the train.

 

[Trog]

The Malicious Damage Act 1861 section 35 seems to have been written with this sort of thing in mind, sadly I suspect the punishments on conviction have probably been somewhat reduced over time.



Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously cut, place, cast, or throw upon or across any railway any wood, stone, or other matter or thing, or shall unlawfully and maliciously take up, remove, or displace any rail, sleeper, or other matter or thing belonging to any railway, or shall unlawfully and maliciously turn, move, or divert any points or other machinery belonging to any railway, or shall unlawfully and maliciously make or show, hide or remove, any signal or light upon or near to any railway, or shall unlawfully and maliciously do or cause to be done any other matter or thing, with intent, in any of the cases aforesaid, to obstruct, upset, overthrow, injure, or destroy any engine, tender, carriage, or truck using such railway, shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be kept in penal servitude for life or to be imprisoned . .

 

[PHILIPE]

They should lock a member of Greenpeace together with an anti-nuclear, anti-fracking, anti-wind farm, anti-solar power and an anti-fossil fuel representative in a room and not let them out until they have decided what form of energy to use. After a while switch the lights off to remind them what could happen if they don't come to a decision !!!

 

[7Pinza]

http://www.retfordtimes.co.uk/BREAK...bush-freight/story-22967797-detail/story.html

Environmentalists have halted a coal train approaching Cottam power station using a life-size model polar bear.

The Greenpeace group have now boarded the freight train at Cottam's sidings and have been shovelling coal onto the ground.

1,500 tonnes of coal are aboard the train and the protest is against its use to generate electricity.

The activists have enough food and water for a day-long protest. They are thought to have boarded the train at the Westbrecks Lane crossing in South Leverton.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/page/content/people-vs-coal?source=wb&subsource=20140923cowb02

Lunacy!

 

[GearJammer]

Whats the rules regarding the driver, surely at somepoint he must have realised he has been stopped by somebody he shouldn't have, is he within his rights to restart the train?

Did the protestors invade the cab and provent him moving it.

Or does they driver not give a hoot, ring his boss, tell him the score and just sit there?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has the "trick" of activists using red flags as an emergency stop signal not been used before?

Ever seen "The Railway Children" and the use of red petticoats as emergency stop flags ?

 

[Saint66]

50 protesters- I suppose the BTP will request the local force to assist in dispersal considering the numbers?

 

[jnty]

Whats the rules regarding the driver, surely at somepoint he must have realised he has been stopped by somebody he shouldn't have, is he within his rights to restart the train?

Did the protestors invade the cab and provent him moving it.

Or does they driver not give a hoot, ring his boss, tell him the score and just sit there?

They'd have to stop, as you can't just ignore a clear stop signal on 'instict' - imagine the consequences if he was wrong. Once they realised what was fully going on, it would probably be unsafe to restart - activists would probably be on and in front of the train. No driver is empowered to knowingly cause harm to someone else, no matter who they are.

 

[7Pinza]

50 protesters- I suppose the BTP will request the local force to assist in dispersal considering the numbers?

It's a remote spot - Police stations at Retford/Gainsborough only offer a skeleton service these days and are not open 24/7. Almost 20 miles to nearest large police presence at Worksop/Lincoln

 

[scotsman]

Whats the rules regarding the driver, surely at somepoint he must have realised he has been stopped by somebody he shouldn't have, is he within his rights to restart the train?

Did the protestors invade the cab and provent him moving it.

Or does they driver not give a hoot, ring his boss, tell him the score and just sit there?

Yeah, I'm sure the driver was pretty blase (apologies, not sure how to accent characters on my laptop) about doing an emergency stop after being flagged down and seeing people climb all over his train.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's a remote spot - Police stations at Retford/Gainsborough only offer a skeleton service these days and are not open 24/7. Almost 20 miles to nearest large police presence at Worksop/Lincoln

Obviously this is something that could have decided the location used by those activists.

 

[Mugby]

If we ever reach a situation where the lights go out and the heating goes off, perhaps the majority of these Greenpeace protesters will turn out to be not so green after all!

 

[theblackwatch]

Agree they endangered there lives they should be removed and taken to court as quickly as possible.Obstructing the railway is an offence no pussyfooting around get them off the train.

Unfortunately, on the last occasion this happened, the protesters got little more than a slap on the wrist in my view, see http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/sep/04/drax-protesters-sentenced

 

[trentside]

If we ever reach a situation where the lights go out and the heating goes off, perhaps the majority of these Greenpeace protesters will turn out to be not so green after all!

I imagine they'll be the first to start complaining.

At least this incident took place off the main line, and on the branch down to Cottam Power Station - presumably to avoid detection prior to the stunt.

 

[GearJammer]

They'd have to stop, as you can't just ignore a clear stop signal on 'instict' - imagine the consequences if he was wrong. Once they realised what was fully going on, it would probably be unsafe to restart - activists would probably be on and in front of the train. No driver is empowered to knowingly cause harm to someone else, no matter who they are.

Im not saying he shouldn't stop, but once he was stopped and realised he had been stopped by persons not authorised to do so then why not pull away again?

 

[7Pinza]

Obviously this is something that could have decided the location used by those activists.

And on the freight-only branch to Cottam - they are quick to state no passenger services have been effected, so that travelling public are not inconvenienced. It's really quite round there with just the power station and the River Trent beyond.

 

[Johnuk123]

If we ever reach a situation where the lights go out and the heating goes off, perhaps the majority of these Greenpeace protesters will turn out to be not so green after all!

Yes but didn't you know we can power the whole of the UK with wind turbines, at least this is the rubbish the greens like to peddle.

 

[Jonny]

Obstructing the railway is an offence no pussyfooting around get them off the train.

Particularly when done with intent - a very serious thing indeed. If this isn't nipped in the bud, who knows what will happen?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Unfortunately, on the last occasion this happened, the protesters got little more than a slap on the wrist in my view, see http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/sep/04/drax-protesters-sentenced

It's too late for that one, but there is the option of complaining to the Attorney General about a lenient sentence - see https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-low-crown-court-sentence . Apparently, it only takes one...

 

[Drsatan]

While I'm all in favour of the freedom to protest, I can imagine Greenpeace will portray today's events as being as brave as harassing a whaling vessel near Japan. Hopefully when this case gets to court, the judge won't be swayed by that argument.

 

[Jamesb1974]

Im not saying he shouldn't stop, but once he was stopped and realised he had been stopped by persons not authorised to do so then why not pull away again?

No right minded driver is going to start off with people climbing on the train. Remember the case of the Merseyrail guard, who gave the right away as the girl leaned against the bodyside? She fell to her death and he went to prison.

Besides which, a coal train with a 66 doesn't exactly shoot off the blocks like a Ferrari. I'd imagine the driver will have stopped, maybe got down and/or on the GSMR/phone to inquire why he was being stopped and THEN realised what was going on.

 

[Dennis]

Quoting further from the BBC report linked in the OP

Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK climate campaigner, said in a statement: "We're doing exactly what leaders in New York and here in the UK should be doing, which is to stand in the way of the massive damage to our health and climate inflicted by coal.

Surely hundreds of global leaders flying off to NY has a detrimental effect on the climate.....perhaps standing on the end of the runway at Heathrow would have had a better media impact, saving the tonnes of CO2 and hot air being needlessly emitted by DC jetting of to yet another pointless talking shop.

Hope the protestors walked in an eco-friendly way from the nearest station or bus stop to the protest site, would hate to think of them as hypocrites.

 

[cf111]

Ever seen "The Railway Children" and the use of red petticoats as emergency stop flags ?

Good point, I didn't even think of that!

 

[jopsuk]

Greenpeace did seem to indicate when quized by Twitter's Surrey Guardthat they'd brought tea and biccies for the driver.

 

[M7R]

I hope the driver left the engine on tick over while sat in his cab, I know I would have done just to wind up the protesters more!

Also what are the chances that the back up plan for the power station is to bring the coal in by road? If so then surely the protesters have shot the selfs in the foot, as Emissions per mile per ton road is surely worse?!

I do like the idea of locking one representative from each protest group in a room and telling them to all agree on what will actually work to keep the lights on, because no matter which way you look at it some one will be upset!