Frack Off Cuadrilla! Activists have a frank exchange of views with Mark Miller
It’s been a long day but a good day. It’s been great seeing the camp take shape. It’s 9.30 and it’s dark and getting cold but people are still working hard all over the site to get everything ready for the first official day of Camp Frack tomorrow. There are workshops to organise, security shifts to rota, tents and marquees to put up… and blogging to be done. At lunchtime the clouds rolled in and the heavens opened, delaying our work for a few hours, but many dedicated campers braved the deluge and carried on working. That’s the spirit of an event like this. It’s hard graft sometimes but it’s worth it when you see what a small group of committed people working together can do in a few short hours.
It’s not only been a productive day, it’s been an eventful one. We’ve had the police and Cuadrilla on site today at various times, both uninvited. The BBC have been here twice, and at points seemed to think that the camp revolved around them, treating activists like extra in their news report. The request “Can we have activity over at this corner of the tent now?” was greeted by jeers from more than one tent pole holder as we struggled to erect the main marquee.
In fact it was the BBC who invited Mark Miller, CEO of Cuadrilla onto the site this morning for an interview. The TV crew set up their shot at the entrance to the camp, the cameras pointed at them as we worked in the background. When we realised what was going on we dashed over with a massive “Frack Off!” banner only to be told that Auntie would not allow that sort of shocking language to be beamed into the nation’s front room. Unsuspecting citizens watched the evening news and eating their tea might be offended by the inference. This rather extreme reaction to a touch of harmless wordplay has given us the idea to make a new banner bearing the message, “No fracking here please, we’re British”.
But I’m not dissing the BBC, we appreciate all media coverage as long as it’s fair and impartial. It’s important to get our message across both locally and nationally. There was an article about Camp Frack in the Guardian today which apparently briefly made an appearance on their homepage, before being relegated in favour of more current news. I hope lots of people read the article, fracking desperately needs to enter the nation’s consciousness as soon as possible.
After the BBC concluded their interview with Mr Miller, he turned and spoke to the activists gathered and invited Phil Mitchell (a local Green councillor who’s been involved in planning the camp) to come and have a chat, off the record. He was summoned and a slightly bizarre and frank exchange of views between Mark Miller and his staff on the one side, and Phil Mitchell and Camp Frack on the other. The BBC wasted no time in turning their cameras back on, seizing the opportunity to film a decent confrontation to add as a filler for their report.
I can’t work out if this was a media stunt, a misguided PR exercise or a strategy to waste our time. The heated discussion certainly seemed to go on for an inordinately long time, as Mark Miller cooly deflected questions and attempted to reason with his vocal opposition. I have to hand it to him, when a couple of activists cheekily unfurled another “Frack Off!” banner behind him, he barely broke his flow as he turned to them and said, “Nice banner by the way”. He was cool as a cucumber.
He’s clearly well versed in the subtleties of PR and spin. I can see how he could convince people that the industry he represents does not pose any danger to the people of Britain. I’m quite sure that in his heart he believes it doesn’t, that he’s doing work that must be done. The short sighted, blinkered thinking that’s symptomatic of the terminally ill fossil fuel industry beggar’s belief. What is it that makes these people do it? Money? Or are they so indoctrinated by the system that they actually think they’re doing the right thing?
It’s peaceful now. The evening meeting finished an hour ago and from where I’m sat I can hear the chink chink of sledgehammers on tent pegs. It’s comforting and slightly soporific. I might get an early night. A friend of mine who’s local to these parts is sitting companionably with me as I write and has just commented that it’s the air up here, it’s so fresh it makes you feel tired. I don’t know about that. I do know it’s been a long day. A long day but a good day, with more good stuff to come tomorrow. Stay tuned, or better still, come and join us at Camp Frack.
