Both the prosecution and the defence made their opening statements this morning – with the jury questioning the relevance of some of the points made.

The prosecution barrister asked the jury to hold four words in their heads: ‘trespass’, ‘conspiracy’, ‘disruption’ and ‘lawful activity’. She stated that the facts of the case showed there clearly was an agreement by the defendants to disrup…

23 November 2010 Nottingham Crown Court



After yesterdays administrations and argument, today started with the jury being introduced to the prosecutions main elements of the case.

18 months after 114 people were initially arrested at the Iona School in Sneinton, 20 climate change activists have begun a month-long trial today. They were originally arrested on 13th April 2009.



On Monday 22 November 2010, they have appeared to answer charge at Nottingham Crown Court: that they conspired together to cause aggrevated trespass at the Radcliffe Power Station. The trial is expected …

A recent decision not to approve a new opencast mine application gains Government endorsement after a Public Inquiry - the first victory for Anti Opencast Campaigners for at least five years. This decision has implications for all prospective English applications including the Minorca application in  Leicestershire 

Whilst we wait for the expensive media camera crews to prepare their news reports for 6pm / 6.30 this evening, here's one I took earlier with a battered, 2nd hand, 19th century mobile phone. Everyone is Indymedia!

Salutation Inn,

Maid Marion Way

Nottingham

The Sumac Debates are back by popular demand.

Every week a different theme will be discussed in an open debate. The first six themes are outlined below and they will be followed by such things as "Why not the G20?" and "Grassroots and Mass movements"



As the poster states they begin at 7:30, and will sometimes be introduced with a short talk or film, watch this space for more details on that, …

International day of action against McDonald's

Work has been continuing at EcoWorks with the Straw Bale building in Nottingham. The building, now being fully enclosed with the main doors having being constructed and fitted All window frames fitted last year. Earlier this year, guttering and assorted woodwork has been completed.

PR 83 'The Minorca Opencast Mine experience is likely to be a longer term' blot on the landscape' says MOPG' This Press Release accompanies the publication of our 5th set of objections to the Minorca Surface Mine Application on the effect this application would have on the local landscape and gives some of the detail contained in the submission as well as suggesting why the effect may be longer …

UK Coal to hold public consultation meeting on plans to open cast coal in Nottinghamshire.  Meetings will be at Trowell Parish Hall 17th October 10am till 2pm and 21st October Awsworth Village Hall 4pm till 8pm 

This press release explains MOPG's 4th set of Objections which criticises UK Coal's assessment of the alleged economic and social benefits associated with the proposed Minorca Surface Mines and makes the claim that our campaign has extracted an extra £1m of proposed local 'benefits'. This represents the price UK is willing to pay rather than answer our objections.

Divers from The Black Fish, the new European conservation organisation Notts Indymedia reported on a fortnight ago, have, in the night before last, cut the nets of six holding pens in Taiji, Japan, that were holding dolphins caught during a dolphin drive hunt a few days earlier. During this hunt a number of dolphins were selected for the international dolphinarium trade and transferred to these ho…

This Press Release describes why MOPG believe that visible black coal dust will affect the daily life of local people as MOPG publish its 3rd objection.

This press release outlines why MOPG are still mounting objections to the Minorca Application on economic grounds.

As the Minorca Opencast Protest Group prepares to put it's case to Leicestershire County Council on why UK Coal's Minorca Surface Mine Application should be rejected it has begun to publish it's detailed objections. This Press Release out lines the first of these. 

This press release highlights the publication of our new Briefing Note which explains why the Minorca Opencast Protest Group believe that a change in Government Energy Policy makes a successful Minorca Surface Mine less likely.

MOPG's 77th Press release explains the decision made by the Planning Committee of North West Leicestershire District Council to continue to oppose UK Coal's Minorca Application.

Our latest Press Release PR 76 "Protesters again face an uphill challenge to convince Councillors to reject the Minorca Application for a second time" has now been published.

This press release outlines the content of a three minute speech Steve Leary will make on behalf of MOPG to the Planning Committee of NWLDC on Tuesday 7th September.

Due to its success in bringing in some 2000 people each year, the Council will no longer allow the use of the Council House, due to the ‘wear and tear’ that the event is causing to the building.



We have been searching for other options, but are stuggling to find another venue immediately where the public pass by. We have always targetted the EMVF at the non-vegan general public by holding the e…

Our latest press release "Will UK Coal be able to afford to restore the Ashby Canal" (PR 75) and our revised Briefing Note on UK Coal plc's financial position (C1 UK Coal's Financial Situation and the Minorca Application, 2nd edition) also published today, points out that when a Company's Auditors qualify the Company's Accounts then this is a company in some financial trouble. UK Coal plc is in su…

The press release " The real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal to Measham" (PR 74) provides detailed information about the real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal to Measham in order to contradict the implied claim in the MACE poster that £2.5m will bring the Ashby Canal into the heart of Measham. It also includes an assessed 'carbon' if UK Coal's offer is accepted

The JB Spray squat in Radford were expecting eviction this morning. Two County Court employees and two police turned up at around 10am along with around 20 supporters of the squatters. They were also accompanied by 2 employees of Portable Buildings Limited, the company which is employed to manage the building. After some initial inspection and drawing a map of entrances they gave up. A call to the…

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group is today launching a Public Appeal for people to object to UK coal's plans for an Opencast Mine on the Minorca site as our PR 73 " A Public Appeal for help to stop a new Opencast Mine Application from succeeding in The Heart of Englsnd" on Climate Change and Environmental grounds explains.

Pictures off the web of allegedly a UK Coal owned dumper truck bursting into flames raise questions about how safe the Minorca Application will be as a Special Area of Conservation dissects the site 

"The EF! summer gathering happend near Derby between the 4th and the 8th of August this year.  To bring together eco-activists from all around Great Britan. The event was a sucessful as well as being one of the largest EF! gatherings in years."

MOPG's 70th Press Release describes the contents of our Briefing Note "UK Coal plc and the Financial Risks Associated with the Minorca Application". This Note discuss the likely hood of financial risks arising from UK Coal gaining planning permission. The report argues that these risks arise as a consequence of the present financial circumstances UK Coal plc finds itself in, plus the possible co…

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