22 held as police foil plot to bring compost toilets and wheelchair track to Drax climate camp

UPDATE 13.30: the climate camp has now been cancelled

— Officers from the Metropolitan police this morning led local forces in a raid in Yorkshire, said eye witnesses. They arrested twenty two activists, who were preparing to transport infrastructure, sanitation and accessibility equipment to the upcoming climate camp at Drax power station.

Crashing sounds were heard from outside the site as vehicles and equipment were impounded. The detainees were taken to York police station, where they are being held for conspiracy charges: in this case, to interfere with key national infrastructure at Drax Power Station in Selby between 8 and 13 August. Media repeated the police’s claim they are “not against protest but against crime”.

This morning’s pre-emptive arrests, ahead of a peaceful protest, contrast sharply with the State’s failure to foil recent far right violence, said Reclaim the Power. “Black and Brown communities are under attack with fire and bricks and the police have made the unfathomable decision to divert resources away from those communities to arrest 22 people taking equipment to make a peaceful climate protest safe and accessible”, said the group in a statement.

The raids follow on from the draconian protest injunction granted to Drax ahead of the camp. In a press release, Reclaim the Power insisted that the planned event will still go ahead.

~ Cristina Sykes