Photo: Catherine Grivas

Road Wars

No Compromise

In Defence Of Stanworth Valley - Part 2

The eviction of No M65 protesters from Stanworth Valley at the beginning of May saw over 60 arrests. The eviction took five days, a testament to the effectiveness of tactics employed by activists. Catherine Grivas offers a personal account of the experience. In Part 1 Ian Freeman documents the eviction and history of the protest.

Squall 10, Summer 1995, pp.22-23

Lancashire Under-Sheriff, Andrew Wilson’s assertions that protesters had been violent was widely circulated in media coverage of the Stanworth Valley eviction.

What constitutes violence is a matter for debate. There is no doubt for me, having spent two days and three nights in a tree-house hearing the continual sound of trees being chainsawed, the hideous crack as the trunk finally gives way followed a couple of seconds later by the crash of branches hitting the ground, that this was the most disturbing and technically violent aspect of the eviction.

I did see behaviour I considered constituted violence; a stray boot connecting with the hard hats from the protesters after some unnecessary pulling and twisting from the Sheriff’s men. I was surprised by the Sheriff’s men (and they were all men) undertaking to evict 60 feet from the ground without adequate safety harnesses, nor being clipped onto anything. The speed and ferocity with which the sheriff conducted the first day of the eviction could only exacerbate the situation. How does one respect or respond to those who will put people at risk, those who don’t seem to respect themselves?

The whole eviction was very emotional, I saw and cried plenty of tears, but it was underpinned with humour and positivity. At times I had the feeling of being a spectator at some dangerous and exciting sporting event. The reality of losing an old wood is sobering. It is only a consolation that we cost the Department of Transport a lot of money. Money they won’t be able to spend on more roads. I feel a massive amount of frustration at the arrogance of a state that will continue to build roads against the wishes of a large percentage of the population.

On one of my many visits to Stanworth Valley I met a local retired couple who had attended the initial public planning meeting for the M65. They registered their opposition to the road extension but felt it had been a waste of time going through the “proper channels” as “those in power had already decided they were going to build a road and did not want to enter into discussion about it”.

This was my first environmental campaign, I doubt it will be my last. The environment is only one aspect of what people in Britain today have to fight for. We are also deserving of jobs, education and housing, respect, liberty and justice. Being part of the No M65 campaign has introduced me to many people from a wide range of backgrounds. Their resourcefulness, commitment and positivity is enlightening. A common criticism is that we are idealistic. As the campaigning group Earth First! say, there can be no compromise in the defence of Mother Earth, there is no future without her. It’s not about idealism, it’s about realism.