Recently in Protests Category

Various media report that Petrol prices have reached record levels of around 120p a litre, perhaps over 130p a litre in some rural areas.

The useless Labour government has presided over an utterly inept "Energy Policy" and has so mismanaged the economy in general, that the UK is now being hit by fuel price increases in part due to the weakness of the £ pound against the $ dollar.

To add further insult, the Treasury has gone ahead with its increase in Fuel Duty, with more to come.

Remember that the actual tax on petrol is over 180%, if you ignore the weasel words which are used to separate VAT from the Fuel Duty tax

Tax is tax and the price of petrol at the refinery gate is a tiny fraction of the tax taken by the greedy Government.

If you get the chance to talk to prospective Parliamentary candidates, of whatever political party, then ask them in public, in front of as many mainstream media journalists as possible, what exactly they will do to reduce the burden of fuel prices, if they are elected.

Punish the politicians who are vague or ignorant or who can see nothing wrong in the current and predicted price of fuel, by not voting for them and by telling all your friends not to vote for them either.
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Doing nothing politically in this General Election, by not voting, or by not questioning political parties and candidates on their Fuel / Energy price policies, is a recipe for financial ruin and misery for you and your family.

Have the Climate Camp Protestors been tricked into being at the wrong place at the wrong time ?

Today (Sunday) and tomorrow, the useless Labour Minister Ed Miliband is hosting the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate meeting in London in preparation for the forthcoming Copenhagen conference i.e. to make most of the decisions before that conference even starts.

"The 17 major economies participating in the Major Economies Forum are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Denmark, in its capacity as the President of the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations have also been invited to participate in this dialogue."

See also the BBC UK looks to break climate logjam

Guess where all the lobbyists from the energy companies and other vested interests are ?

Are they in Ratcliffe-on-Soar or are they wining and dining and schmoozing the delegates, politicians, civil servants and their hangers on in London ?

Why are the climate camp activists not tracking these people in London, instead of fighting with the Police in Nottinghamshire ?

Gordon Brown has wasted some 20 million of our pounds on hosting the G20 summit, but from his media spin perspective, it has succeeded in diverting media attention from the 2p per litre rise in Fuel Duty which came in on 1st. of April.

Do not forget who is to blame for this deeply unpopular policy, when you get a chance to vote against Labour, at the 4th June European Parliament and Local Council Elections.

Another Transaction 2007 organised fuel protest by lorry drivers is planned for tomorrow in central London.

The Daily Mail is reporting that

Cabinet minister leads revolt over 2p fuel tax rise as lorry drivers plan biggest protest yet

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:44 AM on 01st July 2008

A senior Cabinet minister is leading ministers in a revolt against the planned autumn rise in fuel tax.

Business Secretary John Hutton is reported to be demanding an immediate pledge that the 2p-a-litre rise will be cancelled.

The Rt. Hon. John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform is such a bland NuLabour political nonentity, that the Daily Mail website article has the wrong photo. It is actually of Rt. Hon. John Denham MP, the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills

Several other ministers have also urged Chancellor Alistair Darling to drop the tax increase before Parliament starts its summer holiday in three weeks, in order to prevent public anger spiralling over soaring prices at the pumps.

Labour MPs had already been demanding an immediate U-turn on plans to backdate new car taxes, that critics say will hit family motorists, and extra compensation for a million losers from the axing of the 10p tax band.

Mr Darling is standing firm against all three rebellions.

[...]

Will this protest, actually get through to the unpopular and incompetent Labour politicians who are clinging on to power in the Downing Street bunker ?

Protests at remote oil refineries, or even on the motorways, are all very well, but they do not have as much mainstream media impact as ones in Central London.

Today's fuel protest "go slow" on the motorways around Manchester, seemed to attract a good number of protesting motorcyclists, and gained useful regional news coverage, and a bit of sympathetic mainstream media reporting.

However, the simple political facts of life are that such regional protests are far too easily ignored by the "Westminster Village" of politicians, civil servants and mainstream media journalists, unless they happen right in the centre of London.

This protest is not dominating the evening TV and radio broadcast news.

See this report in The Times:

Bikers bring roads to standstill over rising fuel prices ... but are cheered by drivers

From Times Online
June 5, 2008
Joanna Sugden

Hundreds of bikers were cheered on by drivers as they brought roads to a standstill in the North West today in protest against the soaring cost of fuel.

More than 500 motorbike riders revved off in convoy from a service station outside Manchester at 8am and staged a "go-slow" demonstration against escalating prices at the petrol pump. Onlookers - and even those caught in the disruption - applauded in support as they sat in the major tailbacks on the M62 and M60 around Greater Manchester caused by the protest.

The Highways Agency warned motorists to find alternative routes but most did not seem too put out by the added journey time and seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.

Roads into the city were severely jammed as a series of rolling road blocks put in place by the Highways Agency and aimed at curtailing the protest served only to lengthen the delays. One organiser said onlookers were getting out of their cars to wave and take pictures of the bikers. "They've embraced this traffic jam today, that's what we wanted," he said.

The bikers are heading for Salford Quays. Michael Clearly, 56, a Salford garage owner, said: "I think it's brilliant. It's a pity they're not blocking off Downing Street and London too."

[...]

Very true.

Hundreds of motorcyclists, in convoy, revving north up Whitehall, past the Treasury, past the front entrance to Downing Street, through Admiralty Arch, south down Horseguards Road past the rear entrance to Downing Street, past the the back and along the side of the Treasury into Parliament Square, and then back up Whitehall again, and then round the route again and again, would have been far more effective.

A national fuel protest is planned for June 22 when vehicles of all kinds will take to roads across the country for a "peaceful driving protest" organised via the social networking website Facebook.

That particular Facebook group seems to be a little hard to find - any pointers ?

This has a far better chance of attracting some main stream media coverage than the previous one which was predictably swamped by the Local Election night coverage.

Whilst the NuLabour cult currently in Government agonises on how to cling on to power over the Parliamentary Whitsun recess, perhaps some of them might now consider putting some political pressure on the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reduce the crippling fuel price and tax increases.

If you happen to meet a Labour politician over the Whitsun recess, make sure that they understand how strongly you feel about this issue (try to restrain the understandable urge to argue with your fists).

If you are unfortunate enough to have a Labour MP who is supposed to represent your views, this week would be a very good time to write to them over fuel prices, tax and energy policies. - you can do this conveniently online via WriteToThem.com. If you have a non-Labour MP, it is also worth writing in as well, but this is less likely to have an immediate effect.

See the Sunday Telegraph report

Details of the Transaction 2007 protest:

One does have to wonder at the media communications strategy of these fuel protestors - they are incredibly lucky that they got any broadcast media coverage at all on Local Election night, of all nights.

The newspapers will , rightly, ignore this protest in favour of Local Election and Mayor of London stories.

The BBC reports:

BBC news Thursday, 1 May 2008 00:49 UK

Refinery protest over fuel prices

About 100 farmers and hauliers have staged a demonstration outside the Stanlow Oil Refinery at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire over rising fuel prices.

Protesters stood at the entrance of the plant and had blocked about 50 lorries from entering by about 2300 BST.

Cheshire police said they were notified just after 2030 BST and officers were called to the scene.

The protesters later moved off the road and vehicles were moving freely in and out of the refinery.

Police said about 40 or 50 protesters remained at the refinery's gates in the early hours of Friday.

The Stanlow plant was at the centre of the fuel protests in 2000 that caused some stations to run out of petrol.

'Massive profits'

One of the hauliers told the BBC: "It's affecting all of us. It's not just hauliers and farmers - although they are being crippled by the costs - it's going to have a knock on effect on everyone - in rising fuel costs and higher prices of food on the shelves in shops."

A protester said hauliers and farmers were being made bankrupt while companies still made a profit.

He said: "People are going out of business left, right and centre and no-one seems to care.

"Oil companies are still announcing massive profits and the government are taking massive amounts of tax - and they want to put another 2p on in October.

"They've got to bring it down it down again. Something must be done or this country's industry will be lost."

Police said the protest was peaceful and no arrests had been made.

The clear implication of the last bit of this story, is that the media will not actually be too interested, unless there are actual arrests of fuel protestors.

The Times reports:

Noisy fuel price protests in central London
From Times Online April 29, 2008

Valerie Elliott, Consumer Editor

Ministers are being urged to offer emergency assistance to the UK's road haulage industry as fuel prices expect to pass the £5 a gallon mark today.

Some 250 hauliers staged a noisy protest through central London today over the cost of diesel, to reinforce the plea from the Road Haulage Association.

By chance, the protest coincided with news of record, £7bn quarterly profits from the BP and Royal Dutch Shell oil companies.

[...]

Organisers of the London rally, Transaction-2007, were delighted with the turnout of support from as far afield as the Midlands and mid-Wales.

The protest followed the 48-hour strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland in a dispute over changes to pension policy.

A noisy and colourful cavalcade of 65 trucks lined Park Lane. One truck transporting a coffin to depict the demise of the haulage industry was due later to be escorted by protesters and police to the House Of Commons where a petition is to be handed to MPs

[...]
Roger King, chief executive of the RHA, addressing a rally at Marble Arch, called for a windfall tax on the leading oil companies and for cash to be reinvested to help hauliers.

[...]

He has already written to the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, urging him to defer again the 2p hike in duty planned for October. This had been due to be introduced in April but the Treasury responded to industry concerns.

"We want him to make clear now that the October increase will also be shelved," Mr King said.

The RHA is pressing Mr Darling and MPs to support an amendment to the Finance Bill being introduced in the Commons by Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister, to appoint a fuel duty regulator.

Mr King said: "Every time oil rises by $2 a barrel, 1p in duty is added to a litre of fuel. The aim of the regulator would be to trigger a 1p reduction in duty every time the oil price rises to stabilise prices at the pumps."

[...]

The other thing that fuel protestors should do, is to give the Labour party a good kicking at the Local and Mayoral elections this Thursday May 1st 2008 - their politicians must not be allowed to shift the blame for the current fuel crisis away from themselves.

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Transaction 2007 group, which claims support from some Road Haulage Association members, Haulage Contractors, Motorists and Farmers, has called for a protest this coming Saturday

The following statement is released on 10th December 2007 at 10:15Hrs

Transaction2007 have decided to release the date and time of protest action earlier than scheduled. This is to enable the motorist and public to better prepare themselves for the coming action. This will be a nationwide protest extending to Northern and Southern Ireland.

A date of Saturday 15th December 2007 at 10:00am has been decided for protest action. This date was decided by members as the best possible to enable those who would normally be working during the week to attend. This action will be initiated at a refinery or storage depot somewhere near you. Anyone wishing to support action is requested to make your way there at the alotted time. Transaction again wish to emphasise the importance of legal protesting.

Please note: No member from Transaction2007 is available for press or media commenting at this stage.

"TransAction 2007"
Telephone: 07717 075917

They appear to either be very cagey about talking to the media, or are successfully drumming up a teaser campaign.

Contact Chris Hunter (Media & Press Relations) Contact Mike Presniell (Haulage and Farmers Liason)

As we have noted before, there is a whole raft of repressive legislation and technical snooping infrastructures which can be used or abused against even peaceful protestors, which has been introduced by this Labour government since the previous blockades or picket lines at fuel depots in 2000.

Will Gordon Brown retreat to his James Bond villain style secret bunker, the Cabinet Office Briefing Room A - COBRA?, or similar, to be "briefed" on the situation ?

According to The Guardian

Fuel protesters set for weekend of action

Allegra Stratton
Monday December 10, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The group behind the fuel refinery blockades that gripped the country in 2000 has announced it will stage fresh protests this Saturday.

In a statement released on its website this morning, Transaction 2007 said the rise of the price of petrol to £1 a litre had caused it to take action.

[...]

The record world fuel prices together with the fuel tax increases are again generating real anger with the Labour government's inept fuel and tax policies. These do nothing to "save the planet" but they are causing real hardship for many ordinary people on low incomes, and businesses on small profit margins, whilst generating fat profits for a small minority and another financial windfall for the Treasury.

The Sunday Times reports:

Convoy protests
The Sunday Times
November 11, 2007

Farmers and road hauliers are threatening to mount "rolling road" protests over the rise in petrol prices, writes Brendan Montague.

The snail-pace convoys could take to the roads in the run-up to Christmas, slowing traffic and putting pressure on Gordon Brown to scrap a 2p rise in fuel duty due next spring.

The action has been discussed at meetings in London and the northeast.

David Handley, chairman of the Farmers for Action group, which was central to the 2000 fuel protests, said: “We have been inundated with calls demanding we take action.” He said fuel costs for the average farmer with 500 acres had risen by £10,000 in the past two years.

[...]

Given the repressive legislative clampdown on all peaceful protests which this Labour government has introduced since 2000, it would be wise for the organisers of such peaceful protests to take some elementary precautions, especially regarding mobile phones, email, contact with journalists and the broadcast media etc.

There has been a vast increase since the 2000 protests, in the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cctv camera surveillance systems. These are now increasingly linked to a centralised National ANPR Database, and being fed, in real time, with bulk data 24/7 from , say, the London Congestion Charge cameras (and probably the forthcoming London Low Emission Zone cameras as well).

Whilst supposedly intended to "deny criminals the use of the road", which is fair enough, ANPR is also a convenient infrastructure tool which enables the authorities to monitor, harass and suppress any fuel tax protest convoys, no matter how peaceful, once any such protests start to embarrass the Labour politicians via the opinion polls or if the media get hysterical again.

See:

Spy Blog's hints and tips for whistleblowers, and protecting anonymous sources.

Digital Security & Privacy for Human Rights Defenders manual.