Regular readers will remember my good friend 'Compost' who spent several weeks earlier this year in the Occupied Territories and was kind enough to share her thoughts here. Not content with taking on the might of the IDF, she's now out for blood in a town centre near you (or an organic fruit smoothie, anyway). As ever, I'm very proud and impressed, and delighted to share her experience of environmentally friendly light bulbs, direct action, impromptu public speaking and the long -if selective- arm of the law.
Friday morning, myself and a friend went shopping in Woolworths in town. We were not intending on purchasing anything, but on adding some stickers to boxes of incandescent lightbulbs. The orange stickers say "Wasteful" "Outdated" "Sell by date 1977" and "Inefficient."
Ww_edinburgh Greenpeace have been running a campaign to ban these bulbs. Currys and the Co-op will have them off the shelves by the end of the year. If UK retailers stopped selling them now, we could close two medium sized power stations and save 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Not a bad goal, and one which is in sight when some retailers are already shifting.
So we stickered, and were seen by Woolworths security who called town centre security. Retreated, wandered back for a look at what was happening (unwise!!) and got chased by the goons. Me (the 5ft 3 woman) got chased by a small asian bloke. As I dodged under his arm, he started shouting I had assaulted him. Then I was cornered by police and more security and handcuffed. There ended my ethical taste of the shoplifter's buzz.
My friend was gone for the moment. I took the opportunity to loudly explain the campaign to theWiggum_standingtall
gawping shoppers. The police woman who had handcuffed me dithered. I suppose shoplifters don't respond with pride and rhetoric. The plain clothes security guard told me he didn't like my sort, then pushed me against the van with my handcuffed arms up behind me. He put his fingers in my mouth and started shouting I was biting him. I was so tempted, but refrained.
I've a soft spot for old rockers, due to the pubs I drank in when I was younger. I've always found them good companions. This guy was not fit to wear his denim jacket and tour t shirt, and I have particularly unprintable hopes for his future health and wellbeing. As for the little asian security guard, it seems strange but he made the most right wing remarks including 'we don't believe in a free society'. Does he feel small because he has to chase the smallest suspects? Perhaps, and I'm assuming here, in a racist environment he has to be further right wing than the rest to be accepted?
I was locked in the police van and watched through the window as my bag was illegally searched by the police woman. This is illegal because I wasn't present. My friend was led up by five town security and two police, with ripped clothes and in pain. We were driven away in separate vans to the police station. Remembering comedian Mark Thomas' CCTV pranks, I've requested copies of the footage under the Data Protection Act 1998. If I get it I'll post it here.
After a few hours in the cells, we admitted criminal damage to 21 light bulb boxes worth £35.79. We accepted fixed penalty tickets for £80 which Greenpeace will pay.
I made a complaint of assault against Denim Jacket and the police woman for allowing it. She had lied to her superiors about events, and my complaint was not accepted. Further complaints are not worth it. Why give them the satisfaction of knowing we are bothered? Why waste the time and effort? Why waste police time when their time to catch real criminals is so short? My Grandad had £1000 worth of glass smashed on his greenhouse in three attacks and police haven't bothered to attend. Us getting two whole vans full would break his heart.
Feeltheforce_synopses WPC Liar told me that direct action doesn't work, I gave her three examples which have, which shut her up nicely. Greenpeace's giant chickens persuaded McDonalds to stop buying soya from illegal farms in recently trashed Amazon forest. Orang-utans visited Wyevales and persuaded them off Burmese teak furniture and onto Forestry Stewardship Certified wood. Pressure on Asda resulted in a finely worded sustainable seafood policy. We can hope for subsequent actions, and if not pressure them to take some.
Really, I don't mind getting arrested when these gains are possible. Our two fingers up at them will come when Woolworths change their policy. We will have made our contribution to slowing climate change. Our small inconveniences will be well worth it.
