Chronology of Sellafield Protest

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday February 17, 2002 20:45 by James Redmond

Chronology of events at protest at round about

6pm---The first cop arrives on the scene after following the bus on a
motorbike.

6.05am---Second cop arrives on the scene, soon followed by a stream of
cops.

6.08am---916 asks those in the blockade to move as they are ‘posing a
willful
obstruction’. One cop kicks one person in the lock-on (lock-on consists of three men and three women chained together) as they drag it
out
of traffic’s way.

6.40am---Police give second warning as we ‘are liable to be arrested’.
747
begins to clear the road. One cop is not wearing a badge number. 2971
inspects the lock-on.

7.07am---Cops advance in formation to clear the road, crowd heads to
lock-on
and surrounds it.

7.10am---554 inspects the lock-on.

7.40am---Cops advance again in formation to clear the road for the
second
time. Cars begin to enter the plant. The cops hem us into the middle
of
the road and surround us, ‘for our own safety’.

7.50am---Four protesters stage body lock on the cleared section of the road. Police advise them they will be arrested for obstruction. Body lock continues. Police physically break up body lock. Attempt to arrest the four people in it. One goes completely limp and is dropped three times by police who eventually drag her to the side of the road and leave her there. They arrest other three.

8.00am---British woman in lock on frees one arm and moves out
across the
road to block it while other arm remains locked-on. 986, 277, 527 and
344
grab her and throw her back towards the others with excessive force,
they
cause her clear physical pain, risking breaking her arm because of the
lock-on tube. They take away some comfort items from the lock on, such
as
blankets. 1529, 527, 122 and 731 try to wrench the pipe up British woman’s arm
to
expose her hands causing further visible pain.

8.05am---527, 532, 688, 277, 271, 1554, 1529, 731 and others form
cordon
around lock-on. British woman tries to move to block road again, 731,
527
and 112 lift her away from road with excessive force causing her
visible
discomfort.

8.16am---296 removes a pipe from man in lock-on, he inspects other pipes
and
takes one from man. He then inspects the lock-on linking another man and woman in lock-on. He says he’ll cut through the pipe with a hacksaw. The
crowd protest and advise him against it, espousing the dangers that he
could
cut the protesters arms.

8.15am---296 begins to cut into the lock-on pipe. 112 pushes a girl back, she falls to the ground. Man protests
against the
dangerous cutting of the pipe, placing his foot on the pipe to stop the
cutting. He is arrested. Non arrested member of body lock tries to put hand over pipe, she is hit and pushed away.
People in
lock-on and beyond continue their protests against the police cutting
of
the lock-on tube.

8.30am---Man arrested at 8.15 is put in van N713FLN, while awaiting to be
taken
to the police station.

8.30am---277 assisted by 901 inspects lock on again, finds chain on
one man. 901 cuts and removes the chain.

8.35am---1593 arrests woman attached to that man, she is taken to N713FKN and awaits
to be
taken to Workington Station.
8.40am---1529, 731 and 901 drag British woman off the road again.

9.30am---1554 warns them to end the blockade as no special cutting
equipment
is available. British woman tries to block the road again, 530 and 112 shift
her.

9.40am---288, 277 and 296 arrest her. She is pulled away from
the
lock-on, her arm pulled out of the tube and carried by the cops to the
van.

9.41am---296 arrives with a large wire cutters.

9.45am---Two men from the lock on are arrested by 112, 1311,
529
and 1554. They are still locked on to each other.

9.56am---277 and 112 inspect the lock on and remove the banners and
sleeping
bags covering those still locked on.

10.02am---112 asks those in the lock on to move again or face arrest.
731,
112, 296, and 1529 arrest last man and woman left in the lock on. (The two who’s pipe was nearly sawed through)

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