‘Childish and irresponsible’. That’s just the greatest hits of the adjectives fired at Greenpeace activists following last week’s action. Nearly 50 BP petrol stations in London were shut down and the great British motorist stamped their feet in frustration and drove an extra half-mile to purchase overpriced petrol and a Wispa.
Volunteers from all over the UK made this happen and activists from Waltham Forest played their part. For a new network it was nice to be represented on what turned out to be a big day in the ongoing BP campaign. Just how big remains to be seen.
The UK media may have tried to present a picture of crazed, lentil-fuelled vegetarians ripping out vital safety systems but the truth is that no one was hurt, no one panicked, no one freaked out in the act and no one got aggressive (that includes staff and general public). Greenpeace made its point and stood its ground as always. A good day for Greenpeace and a proud one for Waltham Forest.
And that wasn’t all the end of our BP escapades.
Between 12-30 July, over 40 networks from across the UK have visited and leafleted BP headquarters to present posters signed by their communities. The signatures and notes underline one simple message: ‘No Tar Sands’.
On the final day, Waltham Forest was one of six networks in attendance. As a special added extra, we walked there, parading through Trafalgar Square holding aloft the names of all the networks who had attended over the three weeks.
Bristol, Belfast, Glasgow, Telford et al were represented in both body and spirit by those of us lucky enough to know that there was no way we would have our act together in time for the beginning of the vigil and so had better pick the last possible date, just in case. Sometimes fate smiles on the disorganised.
We stood outside with our posters and banners until Press Officer Robert Wine made an appearance. Three people, Steve, Cath and I, had the honour of representing Waltham Forest in this regard. I informed Mr Wine that we were there on behalf of a working-class, culturally diverse community who had rushed to sign our posters and send their messages to his company.
If that wasn’t hard enough for him, he then had to pretend to be overjoyed as I handed him our gift – a copy of East 17’s, not-so-groundbreaking album ‘Walthamstow’.
Whether it went straight in the bin or not, I shall never know. I truly hope that he at least opened the case where he will have found one final, sunflower petal emblazoned: ‘Beyond Pathetic’.
Now who said we were childish?
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