14/08/05

Happy Valley activists to fight Solid Energy's plan to sue.

The three activists arrested yesterday for blockading Solid Energy coal trains in Christchurch are unanimous in their commitment to fight Solid Energy's plan to sue them for costs of two hundred thousand dollars.

After successfully blockading Solid Energy trains for five hours Daniel Rae, Frances Mountier and Raoni Hammer were forcibly removed by approximately twenty police officers and face charges of trespass, willful trespass and trespass under the Railways Act.

“Solid Energy are attempting to intimidate the people who are opposed to the new open cast coal mine, but we will not be intimidated. We will fight them all the way; this is just the start of our campaign of direct action,”stated one of the activists arrested, Daniel Rae.

According to information obtained under the Official Information Act by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Solid Energy have already pressured Landcare Research, an independent Crown Research Institute, into making sure its scientists did not give testimony against the Happy Valley mine.

This new mine will be a disaster, killing kiwi and many rare Powelliphanta “patrickensis” giant snails, as well as causing climate chaos.

The cost of our action for solid energy is minor in comparison to the ecological cost that their new open cast coal mine at Happy Valley will cause to such a priceless environment.

“It is ludicrous that everyday Solid Energy can get away without charge for the illegal environmental destruction they cause because the state sands to profit from their activities; yet when three young people make a stand against this they are threatened with costs of two hundred thousand dollars,” stated Frances Mountier.

We invite the public to join us in condemning this intimidation – and the Happy Valley mine - by joining the protest at their first court appearance this Thursday, 9.00am at the District Court in Christchurch.

ENDS

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