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EDF Tries to Stifle Dissent

February 23rd, 2013

12830d1264346345-other-uses-eggs-egg_on_faceIf you’ve had a look at the two Adam Curtis films I’ve posted up here recently you’ll be aware of his topic, which is the way our governments have been trumpeting the ideal of freedom while they and big business have been eroding our freedoms year by year.

Here’s another example: EDF the big energy company in the UK are trying to sue activists and in the attempt have made an awful PR blunder and now have egg on their faces. As it says in The Guardian: “EDF’s decision to take out a £5m lawsuit against a handful of climate activists represents a new low in corporate attempts to stifle democratic dissent.”  Do sign the petition – these online petitions really do help, as we all discovered when the government tried to sell off  public forests and the petition against it made them change their policy.

Here’s the message I received today:

Our daughter Claire was one of 21 activists who spent a week up a chimney at West Burton power station to protest against the use of gas-fired power stations.

It was a peaceful protest to draw attention to the environmental consequences of burning fossil fuels for power. No one was hurt but now EDF Energy are suing our daughter and her fellow activists for £5 million.

We believe this is totally unfair and unprecedented. That’s why we have started a petition to call on EDF to drop the suit against our daughter and her friends, the West Burton activists. Click here to sign our petition.

Our daughter and her friends protested peacefully. They knew they would be arrested but were brave enough to accept this possibility. Peaceful protest has never before been followed by an injunction for costs like this. If EDF are successful in this suit it will set a dangerous precedent for the right to peaceful protest in this country.    SIGN THE PETITION HERE

EDF is one of the largest electricity companies, and heavily involved in nuclear power. EDF Energy, the British wing of EDF, is fully owned by the French state owned EDF (Electricity de France). In France, EDF has many nuclear power stations, and is building a new European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) in Flamanville. In Britain, EDF is pushing heavily for nuclear new build, and wants to build new reactors at four sites, the first being Hinkley Point and Sizewell. See the BOYCOTT EDF WEBSITE

8 Responses to “EDF Tries to Stifle Dissent”

  1. It’s fine to protest against fossil fuels, I want to know how your daughter would fuel the posterity of my kids… they don’t want fossil or nuclear, until there is a viable alternative does she want this station to be turned off?… what then for your neighbours?

    • small detail: not my daughter! Big detail: the point they are making here is not actually about the particular protest. It’s a point about the right to protest and whether it is right for a corporation to attack the freedom we have in this country to peacefully protest.

  2. Ok Philip I will sign the pepition and pass it on and share etc. Is there any campaign going on to stop using edf?

  3. EDF also own Torness, my “local” nuclear power station. Must look into green energy suppliers – any suggestions? Also on reducing energy footprint overall. If we all consume less energy, we won’t need these white elephants any more.

  4. Paul – these people look good. We’re going to look into switching to them:

    http://www.greenenergy.uk.com
    Deep green
    100% renewable

    Using the power of falling water, the sun, the wind, and organic waste material, we provide energy that is 100% renewable. We love making people smile and providing electricity that is made from pig poo has got a chance of doing just that. Boring we are not.

    And all this for the same price as the standard tariff in your region.

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