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Day 30, Tuesday 15th February 2005 |
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The morning's activities start slightly later than we had feared (well, we like to get our beauty sleep), but by 07.30 vanloads of police are heading towards Linslade. Concerned members of the public 'phone us - "rescue your tree people, quickly" - but we can't spill the beans. They're having breakfast, listening on the radio to news of their imminent eviction. The police have closed the roads for a long way around the site, and don't want to let me in - eventually they relent, but it's still a 15 minute walk. I arrive to find over 100 police and security goons onsite, plus bailiffs, tree climbers, an arrest vehicle, the lot. As I arrive I'm passed by two truckloads of mounted police, now the count is about 150 heads - but no media. We're busy 'phoning the media and pretending concern for the absent treehouse residents. I ask the police not to disturb their sleep. The police, for their part, won't let us close enough to get good photographs; the climbers and security men are mostly trying to avoid being photographed, hiding their faces. Not ashamed, surely, I thought they had no morals? As the climbers start up the first tree, a digger lumbers over the horizon and starts smashing down hedgerow. The treehouse being empty, the digger proceeds to smash down the beautiful old tree. This is the moment the effect of the adrenaline flowing through my veins is shaded by human monstrosity. The pattern is repeated, tree after tree. No slow felling, no checking for bats, no ecologist in evidence: no respect for nature, the environment, law. The same thing can be seen happening down in Valley Fen. Rape. This evening the old hedge and trees are replaced by a metal security fence, the wildlife by a CCTV camera and the acute bats' ears by a satellite dish. Progress. ~ Seán
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