Environmental Activists Chain Themselves to Rail Route to Stop Coal Mining

Apparently new reports are flooding the media about seven coal activists that were recently arrested after chaining themselves to a railway track leading to Ffos-y-Fran mine. This was the railway that connected the open cast coal mine with a power station in South Wales. Police are currently dealing with a second group of activists, who have now locked on further up the line.

The Ffos-y-Fran opencast coal mine near Merthyr Tydfil has already been the target of several environmental activists. This does include the Welsh climate camp last summer and a sustained local campaign from the residents.

The activists, which were part of the Bristol and Bath Rising Tide direct action group, reached the rail earlier this week. They phoned security at the coal mine to warn them about the protest. Three of the activists then used chain and padlocks to lock themselves to the train tracks. Two of the activists went to a nearby vantage point where they could warn of any approaching trains. The activists even stretched a large banner across the line.

Police arrived later and warned the activists that they would be arrested for trespassing and obstructing the train line. They arrested the activists that were not attached to the train line and began cutting through the padlocks. The last activist was taken off the line later that day.

However, next month activists are planning a mass bike ride from the coal mine to Rossport in Ireland. Local campaigners await the results of a legal challenge to the mine. However, it is unlikely that any of these protests will have any affect on the mine at all.