On December 4, 1995, an hour before first light, 500 Earth First! activists stormed a roadstone quarry in Southwest England. The quarry at Whatley, in Somerset, is Amey Roadstone Corporation's (ARC) UK "flagship" producer of roadstone. It is notorious for its supply of materials to Twyford Down and many other British road construction schemes.
To the accompaniment of bagpipes, the first activists swarmed over the gates and through a line of yellow-jacketed security guards, whilst others scaled perimeter fences. Simultaneously, half a mile away, a 20-foot scaffolding tripod was erected to block the rail line leading out from the quarry. Production and distribution of roadstone ground to a halt, not to resume for the better part of a week.
Fifty-five were arrested in this, the eighth (and so far largest) action at ARC's Whatley Quarry.
No More Roads
In 1992, ARC sought to massively widen and deepen the quarry in response to the introduction of a colossal roadbuilding program by the newly re-elected Conservative government. This program was quickly identified by environmentalists as the gravest threat to the natural environment in the British Isles. Several hundred years of urbanization has already devastated the landscape, flora and fauna. For example, Sherwood Forest is now mainly lost to concrete and tarmac.
As one of the smallest and most densely populated nations on earth, the UK is obviously already obscenely overdeveloped and polluted. Car numbers have doubled in the last 30 years and are projected to double again in the next 20. UK Earth First!ers, who see massive roasdstone quarries as being the heart of the new-roads monster, are increasingly determined to strike a mortal blow to the evil Lord Hanson's (owner of ARC) quarry expansion ambitions and stop more roads from bringing more traffic, more quarries, pollution and decay.
Hills Not Holes
Hanson's latest proposal, currently being considered by the UK Government, means that production at Whatley would rise from five million tonnes a year to 10 million, eight times the annual output of ARC's next largest UK quarry. The quarry is already 290 acres in extent, 100 meters deep and a mile long. It is draining the surrounding countryside of its precious water supply, devastating the water table. Should the proposal to widen and deepen the quarry be approved, the ancient thermal springs from which the city of Bath gets its name may cool and diminish. Quarry deepening into the aquifer threatens further destruction to the water supply of about 600,000 people. Further dewatering would decimate valuable flora and fauna. Extensive quarrying over the last fifteen years has severely altered the landscape and diminished the natural beauty of the Mendip Hills. By 1950 an estimated 50 million tonnes of limestone had been removed from Mendips. We estimate that, to date, the present figure is over 300 million tonnes. If Hanson has his way, the next generation will see as much removed again from Whatley quarry alone.
As well as being a vital aquifer, the area around Whatley quarry is a crucial "reservoir" of native English species, with many national and internationally designated wildlife sites.
Money Can't Buy You Love
The quarry company have lavished big budgets over several years in PR and anti-environmentalist propaganda directed at soothing local opinion. They have played the "jobs versus the environment" card as unscrupulously as may be expected. However, it is clear that whilst output has gone up, super-mechanization has seen jobs diminish. Technicians have been imported instead of hiring local people, and these are temporary jobs anyway. The quarrying of a non-renewable resource is inherently unsustainable and denies, for future generations, the continuance of genuinely sustainable agricultural jobs.
Realizing they were losing the propaganda war, Hanson/ARC attempted to bribe the local parish councils to drop their objections to the planned expansion. A little under half a million pounds was formerly offered to be shared equally between adjacent communities of Mells and Whatley/Chantry in the form of "community funds." Mass meetings of villagers indignantly rejected this blood money. Hoping to save face, the company then made the money offer unconditional. However, this had no effect on final formal ballots which confirmed the villagers' fierce opposition to the quarry expansion proposal.
Bagpipes and Porridge
Whilst Hanson/ARC were fouling up their PR, Earth First! was finalizing their non-violent direct action strategy. It was agreed that the action would be wholly confrontational with heavy advance publicity of venue and time. Two months of front publicity maximized numbers and heightened company anxiety. Since a roadstone quarry's maximum deliveries are in the very early morning the idea of an overnight camp for protesters was suggested and taken up. The location, within easy striking distance of the quarry was kept completely secret until the day before the hit. At the camp, arriving vehicles, once unloaded , were quickly dispersed, to foil any police blockade of the camp site. A no-alcohol rule was rigidly enforced, crucial to the pre-dawn start and quarry site safety. The afternoon and evening before the hit saw the camp crowded with eager protestors involved in various training workshops, such as legal, informative and tactical. The camp also provided a crΩche and vegan catering services. In the evening musicians played as protesters settled in for an early night to be rudely awakened at 4 am by the wail of bagpipes. Spirits lifted as porridge and packed lunches were distributed and protesters gathered in their various affinity groups, before traveling to the quarry together.
Under New Management
Protestors were met at the quarry gate by Chief Druid King Arthur Pendragon with the ceremonial sword "Excalibur," flowing robes, beard, wooden staff and costumed entourage. Once in the quarry, protesters quickly spread out occupying machinery, buildings and vehicles. One group of climbers made it to the top of a huge crane and unfurled a banner declaring "Under New Management." As the action progressed, a large number of protestors grouped at the top of a stock pile of stone and proved very difficult to dislodge. The majority of arrests occured at this "Battle of the Mound. Others ensured all paid a more realistic price for Mendip stone. Twenty metres of railway track, leading out of the quarry, "disappeared"; the control panel for video monitoring of the plant fell apart; a two-story crane pulled itself to bits; three control rooms dismantled themselves; and several digging and conveyer belts "broke down". At the end of the day, the media reported that substantial damage had occurred, valued by the company at £ú100,000, together with an additional loss of production of £ú200,000.
We'll Be Back
EF! actions at the site have heightened public awareness and opposition and so far Hanson/ARC's quarry expansion ambitions have been thwarted. The action brought new people into the movement and achieved extensive national media coverage. Useful training and experience have been gained. Both the camp and the hit were colorful, musical and fun.