22nd June 2017 - NOW is the TIME... for a little peaceful mischief
How do we get Gloucestershire County Council to stop, look and listen?
Since the contract was revealed and analysed this Spring, we know that the Javelin Park deal doesn't work from any angle - not only will the incinerator create toxins and affect the climate, not only has the whole saga made a mockery of democracy, but it's also a bad deal financially - and even in law. A complaint to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) is in process which, if upheld, could void the contract.
There have been legal challenges, petitions, motions, complaints and questions to council, and countless letters to the press. Twice GCC have been ruled out of order on their secrecy (first by the Information Commissioner and then by a Tribunal).
Yet the site at Junction 12 of the M5 is still active, the waste bunker apparently still being excavated...
Motion to halt works and investigate
A new motion [1] proposed and seconded by Labour and Greens, is being put to the Council next Wednesday 28th June, requesting a halt to these works pending the outcome of the CMA complaint and an independent investigation into the whole affair.
So what can we, the people, do?
We can turn up (yes, again), and we can be loud and colourful and musical, as always...
But this time, some of us can also be disobedient. Peacefully mischievous. And the rest of us can support that civil disobedience, even just by our presence. Because it's time to make it clear that our families' and community's health, our landscape and our hard-earned taxes are not for excavating.
Come along!
When: 9:15am, Wednesday 28th June (Council meeting starts 10:00am)
Where: Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2TG
Link to Facebook event here. [2]
We can also fill the public galleries during the meeting. Let's support those elected representatives who support us, in the hope that the newly formed Council will have the courage to stop and take stock.
New Facebook group - Cancel the CONtract
A new Facebook group has been created by a combination of local groups - activists and concerned citizens - to publicise a carnival of citizens actions and events of which next Wednesday is only the beginning...
If you are an FB user, please do Like the page: https://www.facebook.com/cancelthecontract/
This will encourage updates to your news feed - you can even set it as a priority in your News Feed Preferences.
It's summer, folks - let's RUN with it and have FUN with it.
PS - Pledge to peacefully disobey...
If you are willing to engage in a little disobedience yourself, you can sign up to the pledge on the RisingUp! site here:
https://risingup.org.uk/pledge/cancel-contract-civil-disobedience-gcc
NOTES:
[1] See GCC agenda under Motions: http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/g8397/Agenda%20frontsheet%20Wednesday%2028-Jun-2017%2010.00%20County%20Council.pdf?T=0
[2] Facebook event page for June 28th protest at Shire Hall https://www.facebook.com/events/140698363161620/