Climate Campers swoop on Black Heath

More than 1,000 climate activists have set up camp in London for a week of education on the environment and direct action protest.

The Climate Camp’s location was kept a secret until Wednesday, when text messages were sent out to protesters telling them to swoop on Black Heath in south east London.

Black Heath has no connection to climate change, but was the site of a peasants’ revolt in the fourteenth century.

“It is really exciting to be able to look back through history and see this as the site of the uprising of thousands of people,” said Lucie Hayward, Climate Camp spokesperson.

“For any social change it takes an uprising of ordinary people to overturn the political and economic systems.”

In addition, the protesters believe it is significant that Canary Wharf and the City of London can be seen from the camp.

“It is also important to be able to see the City where there were the most recent protests against G20 and where we are focusing our protest against
the economic and political failures that are causing climate change,” Hayward added.

The week long camp will include education workshops on everything from how to construct a wind turbine, to organising direct action protest.

The Metropolitan Police have promised to stick to “neighbourhood style” policing after criticism of police tactics at the last Climate Camp.

Climate Camper Tim French said: “Environmental activists are increasingly being criminalised for our actions in the way that some communities experience on a daily basis.

“We are here today in solidarity with all those who have been affected by state violence.”