From: EcoNet (via Jym Dyer) <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive,alt.activism,talk.environment
Subject: NEWS/ACTIVISM: "Don't Let Twyford Down!" (U.K.)
Followup-To: talk.environment
Date: 5 Oct 1992 22:27:19 GMT
Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Originator: jym@remarque.berkeley.edu

[From EcoNet en.alerts Conference]
 
================================================================
=> From: eastoxcomcen@igc.org
=> Date: 8:42 pm  Oct  2, 1992

                      DON'T LET TWYFORD DOWN! 
  
Twyford Downs, near Winchester, form part of one of the most 
beautiful and precious landscapes in England. Steeped in the 
history of this land, the area has a wealth of unique historic 
sites, SSSIs, ancient trackways and wild flowers that have been 
virtually eliminated from the rest of the countryside. However, 
thanks to our crazy car-culture and the DOTs blue line mania, plus 
the intervention of powerful self-interested parties like 
Winchester College, Tarmac Construction is poised to rip a 100ft 
deep cutting through the centre of  this amazing place, and create 
huge embankments across the adjoining water meadows with the 
excavated chalk. The downs are still intact, well, 98% intact. 
Preliminary work has created a hugely visible scar on the 
hillside, but this could be restored and replanted if protesters 
and environmental activists can win the fight against the planet- 
wreckers. 
  
Protest in many forms has been happening  here for twenty years 
during this country's biggest ever anti-roads' campaign. Despite 
efforts by many environmental groups, the Twyford Downs 
Association and individuals, the government are determined to 
ignore them and win this battle. It has implications for the whole 
road-building programme, future planning and the whether people 
can regain control over the way  their quality of life is 
dictated. 

The powers that be are utterly stubborn and un-democratic in this 
matter; it is now clear that stronger measures are needed if  the 
imminent tragedy is to be avoided. Until recently campaigners have 
shied away from direct action as a means to halt environmental 
destruction. Sadly, they have watched so much of the countryside 
ruined by roads, housing estates and superstores that some have 
now decided that enough is enough and its time to get physical. 
Non violent direct action (NVDA) has been used many times this 
summer to disrupt the contractors and send the message that we 
will fight for our natural heritage; that no-one on this planet 
should dare or have the right to order such devastation. 
  
Time delays and extra costs have been caused by activists 
obstructing  the preliminary works by locking onto machinery, 
flooding the site and generally demoralising the contractors.
At the same time, there has been covert eco-tage by mysterious 
operators who appear at night and are believed to originate at the 
bottom of the roads minister's garden. The consensus view among 
Earth First! activists is that we neither condemn or condone 
damage to property, it is a matter for individuals to work out 
their own methods of opposition. It could be, however, that even 
the people of Winchester have seen that petitions and letters do 
not work and are expressing their outrage in one of the only ways 
left. Any-one who has been to Twyford will realise the importance 
of preserving this landscape by any non-violent means, civil 
disobedience is now the only thing that will succeed. 
  
Near the Morestead Road, on the line of the proposed motorway, is 
a network of ancient trackways with deep turfed gullies hewn by 
millions of human and animal feet over thousands of years. To 
stand here and feel the history of this site and feel a connection 
with our past is a wonderful experience. The protesters now camped 
here believe this place can be saved and have pledged to protect 
it from the threatened environmental vandalism. The site has been 
declared an independent territory and has been fortified in 
readiness for stage one; the stripping of the flower rich turf 
which has evolved over hundreds of years, and moving it to another 
site. An act that can be likened to the collection of zoo 
specimens while allowing their habitats to disappear. Some of the 
protesters have been here since March and are totally committed. 

But success also depends on large numbers of people visiting or 
staying at the camp or supporting it in other ways like supplying 
food or firewood and publisising the camp. There is more work to 
be done in defending the trackways and always the opportunity of 
inspiring or joining one of many actions against the contractors. 
But it's not all work, camping out on the downs (there is usually 
tent space available) and meeting  like-minded people is a very 
worthwhile experience. Walk on the downs in the moonlight and 
develop your sense of outrage at the mindless march of 
'progress'. Get there soon. Don't let Twyford down. 
  
For Information Contact:- South Downs EF! on 0273 683205, Oxford 
EF! on 0865 725840 
or HOTLINE:-  with a 30 second update message, on 0225 444133 
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive