Archived press release

Climbing festival gives 'eviction award' to support newbury protest

17 February 1996

The largest ever gathering of climbers and mountaineers in the UK will today(Saturday 17 February) condemn climbers who help evict tree protesters along the proposed route of the controversial Newbury bypass.

Speaking at the first annual DMM British Mountain Festival [1] - the biggest event in the mountaineering calendar - which is taking place in Llandudno this weekend, the organisers will say of climbers involved in the evictions: "they are not welcome amongst us, and if any who are involved in this shameful activity are with us and still unrepentant today, then I must ask them to get their precious money back from the box office and leave now".

The comments will come during an award ceremony when a special Downside Award will be given to Richard Turner Limited of Chesterfield who have been involved in previous evictions of protesters at Brynhenllys and Stanworth Valley. The award will also be given to those involved with evictions at Newbury.

In presenting the award festival organiser and chair of the panel of judges Jim Perrin will say that it was "an acknowledgement of the strength of feeling in support of the Newbury protesters amongst our community of the outdoors, and an expression of the outrage felt by mountaineers that their skills should be used for no better purpose than rank financial profit, against responsible and courageous defenders of the environment and environmental values. If we, as a community, do not disown and ostracise these mercenaries and renegades, we are undermining the very reason for our own existence and helping to accelerate the destruction of the places we hold most dear. They are not welcome amongst us, and if any who have been involved in these shameful activity are with us and still unrepentant today, then I must ask them to get back their precious money from the box office and leave now."

Commenting on the actions of Richard Turner Ltd, Andy MacNae, National Officer for the British Mountaineering Council - representative body of the sport - said: "Climbers have an enviable environmental record, and the vast majority will be outraged at being associated with actions of this kind. This has nothing to do with climbing".

Notes: [1] The British Mountain Festival, the largest event of its kind in Europe, is sponsored by equipment manufacturers DMM International. Speakers at the festival, which is to be compered by Mike Harding, include Doug Scott, GregChild, Peter Matthiessen, Gordon Stainforth, John Beatty, Felicity Butler, Rhona Lampard, Silvo Karo, Neil Gresham, Martin Boysen, John Barry, Dawson Stelfox, Dermot Somers, Stevie Haston and many others.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust