We Really Did It – And We’ll Be Back

Post camp gathering. Manchester 26th-28th Sept

Sunday 10th August 11pm

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of huge institutions such as energy corporations and governments. But the Climate Camp has shown that we don’t have to feel that way. This weekend, we proved our power.

Today, we learned that - despite E.ON’s bluster that the power station had been running normally all weekend – we most definitely succeeded in disrupting its operations. We learned this from a most unlikely source: the police.

On Saturday, four bold rebel rafters got very close to the power station water intake pipe before being boarded and captured. They were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and, according to their charge sheets, “they did an act, namely disrupting the running of the power station by causing the water inlet cooling system to be shut down.” That doesn’t sound like E.ON’s claim of “business as usual” to us!

Despite the fact that we had publicly announced what we were going to do months in advance; despite E.ON spending millions on extra security, and the Government spending millions on policing; despite the extra fences, the smear campaigns, the scare stories, and the most repressive and
heavy-handed policing of peaceful protest for many years; despite all of this, we got over the fences, disrupted the power station, and massively embarrassed an international energy giant. We outsmarted 26 police forces to run the biggest climate camp ever. We covered the river in boats,
filled the streets with people, covered the power station gates with banners and hit at least eight other targets with autonomous actions. We flooded the national, local and independent media with our stories and messages. E.ON and the Government threw everything they could at us, and
they still couldn’t hold us back.

We’re just ordinary people with a cause. And we proved our power – not just to the outside world, but to ourselves. Now we know what we can do, and our movement is stronger than ever. If the Government gives Kingsnorth the go-ahead, we will be back to stop it.

Why not join us? The Camp for Climate Action is an open and welcoming network with a group near you. Check out the “Local Groups” page to find out more!

Saturday 6.00pm update.

Protesters Evade 26 Police Forces To Enter Power Station Site

The main marquee is buzzing with sporadic cheers at the feedback meet-up from the day of action. Celebratations are certainly the order of the day as protesters succeeded in breaching the perimeter fence and inner 10,000 volt electric fence (switched off) to enter the power station site despite the best efforts of 26 police forces with over 1,500 police.

The day started early with a flotilla of boats – the Blue group - sailing towards Kingsnorth in the sun. Over twenty crafts made their way up the Medway to converge on the coal loading jetty. Three people occupied the ledge above the power station's water inlet tunnel while a banner proclaiming 'CO2AL: Starter Gun for Climate Chaos' was hung from Darnet Fort on an island in the Medway directly opposite the power station.

Kent Police are on form as ever with the lies - claiming that they had to rescue rafters from the Medway. Rafters told quite a different story saying that at no point were they in any danger. “Its a bit cheeky for the police to say that we had to be rescued when for starters we weren't in any danger, and secondly, they were the ones who had confiscated our safety boat this morning,” said Rebel Rafter Harold Cryer. Interestingly the river police were super professional and courteous, as were the sea-king helicopter search and rescue folks. Pity the land-based cops weren't more similar.

Talking of unprofessional behaviour, news came in that the number of complaints against Kent police were so many that the Kent Police Professional Standards Authority were out today (yep, a Saturday too), to keep tabs on the police. Talk of the camp is that this year we must fight the police's unlawful conduct over the coming months, much in the same way that last year we fought sections of the media for their less-than-fair coverage (coverage has been noticably more accurate this year). So do keep in touch with the camp legal team if you were mis-treated.

Ok, back to the day of action: around 1,000 people from the Orange group headed from the Camp directly to the main gates at Kingsnorth, led by a colourful carnival dragon made by children during the camp. At the gates the Camp's Christian Cafe crew held a service giving the power station its last rites. The group sat outside the main entrance for an hour, some longer, even after a police helicopter circling above had demanded through a loud-hailer that the marchers disperse, threatening them with 'horses and dogs' if they didn't. Another surreally big-brother moment, and a classic example of the police 'facilitating lawful protest', as their mantra says.

The few hundred strong Green group made it to the perimeter fence of the power station. Some used a section of fencing to make a ladder to breach both the outer and the inner electric fence. Others climbed a nearby pylon to hang a banner reading 'Shut Down Kingsnorth'(1).

Spokeswoman Emily Davies said in a press release this afternon, “It shows how serious we are about stopping climate change that people from all walks of life were prepared, despite blatantly intimidatory policing, to take direct action to disrupt E.ON. This Olympic effort certainly deserves a gold medal.” Which nicely sums it up!

Campers have been signing pledges to return to Kingsnorth if Minister for Business John Hutton gives E.ON the go-ahead to build the first coal-fired power station in the UK for 30 years. The promise is to take action against
E.ON and other companies until they abandon all such plans.

More from the camps press release: “It's been a great today, but a real victory for us will be when we have
conclusively scuppered E.ON's coal-fuelled mania. If Hutton gives the green light to this power plant, E.ON can expect to be seeing a lot more of us in the future,” said Ewa Steckel, who has signed one of the pledges to stop the plant.

Outside the camp, and more bizarrely than taking a home-made raft down the Medway, Malcolm Wicks, Energy Minister stated yesterday that we need Kingsnorth to counter catastrophic climate change!
see article .

Campers reacted furiously, “Malcolm Wicks' claim that building an unabated coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth is necessary to save us from climate change shows him to be delusional and dangerously scientifically illiterate. ” said camper Ania Kemp.

Thats enough for now - off for a well-earned (we think) beer!

Saturday 12.30pm - WE'RE IN!

Dozens of Protesters Over the First Two Fences of Kingsnorth Power Station

Electric Fence Switched Off!

Over 1000 Marchers Reach Power Station Gates

As promised, hundreds of climate campers have converged on Kingsnorth by land and by sea and have breached the perimeter fence despite the extraordinary hordes of police surrounding both the camp and the power station. Cheeky protesters dismantled the first fence and used it as a ladder to climb over the second one. Happily, E.ON have decided not to emulate the repressive tactics of the Kent police and have switched off the electric fence – the final fence surrounding the power station - as soon as the protesters got near it.

We've had reports that at least four campers have climbed over the ex-electric fence and made a death-or-glory leap into the arms of the waiting riot police. Utterly brilliant.

The fence-busting protesters have now been joined by at least one pirate crew who also made it to the power station despite the Chinese-style legal clampdown across the entire peninsula and surrounding waters. We've also had reports of eight kayaks getting very close to the station (although most have now been captured), three people reaching the jetty and almost getting over the fence, and more rafters dropping a banner reading “COAL: Starter Gun For Climate Chaos”, on a fort opposite the power station.

Meanwhile, over a thousand people from the march have arrived at the power station gates and are having a glorious party!

Photos to follow soon...

Saturday 10.30am - Rebel Raft Regatta

Your mission should you choose to accept it... you get a start point and series of photos to find your way. Then dig for treasure. The treasure being a mini bottle of rum, an inflatable raft, and a pump. Sit quiet overnight, and wait for the signal, using woodland cover to avoid the sea-king search-and-rescue helicopter swooping low over the woodland. The moment arrives and five boats appear on the police-free beach, blinking in the strong sunlight, launch and paddle towards Kingsnorth. An amazing sight in the sun heading to the jetty.

First boats have now reached the jetty... While reports are coming in that the crew of a regatta safety boat have been arrested. So much for the policing being for our own safety...

120 people have converged on the fence of the power station. Orange pod (Opod) march is heading towards Kingsnorth.

Inside E.ON press HQ, our mole says top PR spokesperson Emily Highmore apparently close to tears about how badly the week has gone. No news on the whereabouts of Paul Golby though.

Saturday 10am - Spectacular Start to Day Of Action

As we type, the first few Rebel Rafts have taken to the water, the carnival procession is gathering at the gate of the camp, around 200 sneaky fence-dodgers have set off through the undergrowth towards Kingsnorth power station.

Meanwhile, the camp has been spluttering with collective laughter at the latest ludicrous statement from Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks. Having had every other justification for new coal power ripped to shreds (there is no “energy gap” if the Government sticks to its renewables targets, the new Kingsnorth station would be nearly as filthy as the old one), Wacky Wicks is now claiming that we need to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth because it's the only way to save us from climate change.

Seriously.

In the Guardian yesterday, Mr Wicks claimed that only carbon capture can save us from climate change, and that we need to build new power stations in order to research and develop the technology.

This would be lovely, if it weren't for the following facts:

* Carbon capture technology will not be ready for at least twenty years, according to the industry and Chancellor Alistair Darling. Climate scientists say that we have
about seven years left to stop disastrous climate change.

* The Government have assured E.ON that Kingsnorth power station can go ahead without carbon capture research equipment, according to emails between the Government and E.ON.

* It would be perfectly possible to do research into carbon capture without building a new power station - we have quite a few existing coal power stations we could try it out on!

This latest desperate attempt to defend the indefensible shows how far we have come. We have won the moral argument - new coal power stations must not and will not be built. We now wait with baited breath for reports from our brave mariners, marchers, cyclists and ramblers. Updates as we get them!

- George Monbiot gives his thoughts about the camp.

Friday 4.30 pm update. Political Policing Proven

Page 9 of the Medway Messanger contains a short 120 word article, "Police Costs Will be Met", that we can't find online. It tells us that the Home Office will be paying for 90% of the police's costs, and not local tax payers, according to Medway councillor Mark Reckless. This strongly suggests that the decision on the level of policing and the highly politicised style of policing was decided by central goverment some time ago and not local Kent police.

"It seems that central government decided, well in advance, to deploy massive resources and agressively attack the climate camp via intimidation. There must be a full enquiry into who made these decisions, when, and whether there was any collusion between government and E.ON over the policing of the 2008 climate camp," said Ester Davies of the Camp.

Further evidence of the pre-meditated political use of blanket stop and searches, comes from the name of the police operation this week: Operation Oasis. An oasis being an isolated area of one thing (vegetation/campers) in a sea of something else (desert/police). Why call it Operation Oasis, if the camp were not to be isolated via blanket stop-and-search which were well known to be unlawful?

Such blanket stop-and-search is of course unlawful under the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act, Section A, as such searches cannot be based on "generalisations or stereotypical images". Over to the professional reporters. Get digging for the roots of this disturbing new development in policial policing.

Friday 3.00 pm update. Mainstream media

Impressive piece summing up the camp, its importance and the ludicrous reaction of the media see article.

A visiting journalists guide to the camp see article.

New Statesman's view: see article.

A right-wing view (The Economist): see article.

Probably enough on the mainstream...

Friday 2.30 pm update. PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND?

If you're reading this a work (good on you - but don't click the link to the naked protesters!), and wondering what to do for the weekend - head to the camp. There have been lots of discussions at the climate camp monthly gatherings over the past few months to question whether we should do another camp next year. The answer is we don't know. It's perhaps time to seek new ways to broaden and strengthen a social movement to tackle climate change. This means that this year could be the last camp in its current form. So, if you're curious then don't miss out. Check out the photos by clicking on the 'latest images' side bar to see what its like.

To come to the camp after work, the quickest route is a direct train from London Victoria to Rochester (40 mins), then local bus to Hoo from around the corner from the train station. Otherwise its a train to Strood and the camp shuttle bus to the site. Expect a surreal police presence and then a serene camp. There is a special welcome meeting late tonight, and orientation for the action to shut down Kingsnorth (which is curiously quiet, like it's powered-down already, but lets not dwell on that!). There are three groups to choose from (the fourth, blue group going via water has finished all the safety training, and with no safety training you can't join this part of the action), green (overland and over the fence), orange (family-friendly), and silver group going by air (details available at the camp).

Remember there is lots to do on the site even if you don't want to take part in the action, preparing food, staffing the welcom tent etc., and of course there are still some workshops happening.

Friday 2.00 pm update. Gimmie some skin!

John Hutton's rude awakening. New report that twelve people - all naked - are superglued to the doors of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR). More news, and yes photos, shortly. DBERR is the department that will make the decision on Kingsnorth.

Friday 10.00 am update. WAVE OF DIRECT ACTION BEGINS...

We were so into the workshops (planning for the Copenhagen climate change summit in December '09), action planning (the Great Rebel Raft Regatta, looks ace) and big discussions (is the camp explicitly anti-capitalist enough?) that we forgot to blog yesterday afternoon, sorry! Anyway all is cool at the camp.

Action reports coming in include: Worlds smallest campaigners scale Kingsnorth smokestack. E.ON’s replica of the Kingsnorth coal-fired power station has been occupied by one inch tall climate change campaigners. The drama unfolded at the Legoland park in Windsor – sponsored by E.ON – where the Lego Kingsnorth is given pride of place next to Big Ben and Canary Wharf. see article.

Climate Campers have now twice hit the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which calls itself 'the oil and gas bank', a major funder of projects to get fossil fuels out of the bank. see photos. One group yesterday held a 'die in' to blockade the entrance of the head office in Londons square mile. This morning the super-glue was out, with the entrance again blocked.

A group of climate protestors were at Longannet power station in Fife in solidarity with the Camp for Climate Action near to Kingsnorth power station in England.

Longannet coal plant, which produces a quarter of Scotland's electricity, produces around 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. see article.

Meanwhile, climate activists shut down the south's biggest biofuel storage facility. Saying: "companies like Greenergy and Tescos who use Thurrock are profiteering out of the rush to biofuels causing food price rises, hunger for millions, ecosystem destruction and accelerated Climate Change. These are crimes against humanity and the earth from which we may never recover." see article.

Plane Stupid went to Gatwick where nine activists arrived at 7.50am and split into three groups. The first group scaled the wall next to the escalator above the train station, occupying the roof structure and dropping a banner: ‘SHORT-HAUL FLIGHT? LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN.’ The second group mounted the mezzanine above the arrivals lounge, handcuffed themselves to a railing and dropped a banner: ‘STOP SHORT-HAUL’. The third group, dressed as ‘information points’, with t-shirts asking, ‘can I hinder?', leafleted the surprised crowd with information about the ecological cost of aviation and the irresponsibility of those who fly short-haul. see article.

Camp life rolls on in its normally surreal way... more later today, after we deal with media hour ...

Thursday 9.00 am update. E.ON F.OFF !

A magical evening at the climate camp. Most hilarious moment was surely the announcement that the student climate action cafe has hundreds of free condoms and nobody is taking them. Don't let anyone doubt the seriousness with which us campers treat stopping E.ON! Later there was a Latin America theme to entertainments, with live music, Bolivian dancers and DJ's until powerdown. The Bolivian dance troupe told us their story of fighting water privatisation right through to the election of Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia. The key? We have to not just march or take action for a day, but for weeks and months at a time. Food for thought in terms of stopping Kingsnorth being built.

The climate camp is incredible, because so many people put in so much effort to make it such an amazing and important event. They wont read this until next week, but the blog team what to say a 'total respect' to; the site crew (sourcing 40 big structures is no mean feat); the kitchen co-ordinators (last night we collectively cooked for 1,200 people); the shuttle bus hirers and drivers (who are being harrassed for allegedly running an illegal taxi service, because we accept donations, we're taking legal advice with a view to judicial review over this particular piece of harrasment); all those people who brought big expensive things, like the cinema, wind turbines, and solar panels to the camp knowing the police could confiscate them; Paul Morrozzo, in prison for trying to attend the camp in breach of his China-style police bail conditions; the 200+ workshop givers; the workshops team sorting out those 200+ people; the people staffing the gates - especially through the night - and lecturing the police on climate change; the entertainers; the food preparers (over one tonne of veg chopped and still no knife crime on site!); all those parents who came with chilren who make the event so amazingly multi-generational; the media team (for those fast rebutals to absurd police claims, and for dealing with the media in a way that doesn't disrupt camp life); the old man who had his walking stick taken as it could be an offensive weapon; the medical team (nice '70's caravan!); wellbeing team (rehabilitating burnt out activists since '05); Be the Media and their computer expertise; the facilitators of all those meetings; action support (love the fence climbing workshop!); the power group (no not the Stalinist core group, but those who provide electricity from renewables); and everyone we've temporarily forgotten. And lets remember, nobody gets paid, everyone doing this in their spare time, all pulling together from different walks of life, for one thing. A rapid just transition to a new life, thats sustainable, enjoyable, that puts people and planet at the centre of things.

And of course we shouldn't forget Gary Beautridge in charge of policing the event - you've radicalised a generation!

Wednesday 9.00 pm update.

Biggest Climate Camp ever - E.ON on the back-foot

With about 1,200 people here, and a really peaceful day, the Camp for Climate Action is much bigger than this time last year. If you read this, phone a friend, and get them to come to the camp. Do it now! It's numbers that will really make the camp and Saturday's action a big success. Numbers will also pressure E.ON and the government to abandon plans for Kingsnorth and show the authorities that we won't be intimidated from stepping out of line to tackle climate change - the most important crisis facing humanity.

Tommorrows highlights include Chris Davies MEP who is prepared to break the law to stop Kingnorth being built see article. He is responsible for leading negotiations to introduce carbon capture and storage technology, showing what rubbish it is that Kingsnorth has anything to do with testing new technology. In addition the chair of the all party parlimentary committee on climate change, Colin Challen MP, will be attending the camp. So hopfully this can keep the police off our backs tommorrow so we can get on with planning the action and enjoying the workshops.

Meanwhile Bob Watson, government chief scientific advisor urges that we have little time to avoid catastrophic climate change see article and E.ON and the government are on the back foot. New documents show collusion between the two, with emails between E.ON and the Department for Business showing that despite the Chief Executive of E.ON Paul Golby's word in the national press and to parliment that any new Kingsnorth plant will the 'carbon capture and storage ready' the documents show there will be no such inclusion of the new technology in plans being finalised between E.ON and the government, new documents show see full article.

The Camp for Climate Action Media Team, keep asking "Where is Paul Golby", he seems to have dissapeared. They have publicly challenged Paul Golby to discuss the issues live on TV. He can name the place, Newsnight, Today, or Channel 4 News, even the gates of Kingsnorth. So, Golby (or Emily Highmore), give us a ring!

Wednesday 4.30 pm update. Sunshine, 1000 people in workshops, couldn't be going better. Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway did a cool photo-op, with a big papier mache head of Gorgon Brown and a huge model of Kingsnorth to voice their opposition to a new Kingsnorth. Meanwhile 17 penguins roamed the site looking for their lost polar ice cap. Workshops-wise, the internet and climate change, by internet guru Harry Halpin, and a history of Reclaim the Streets were highlights.

The most laid-back day of the camp has also seen increasingly absurd police tactics to harrass the campers. As a statement against the mis-use of stop and search powers, thirty people left the site, and refused to be stop-and-searched, they then immediately returned to the site, again refusing to be stop-and-searched. Apparently this incident is the basis of a new police press release where they allege thirty people left the site and explicitly told the police they don't want to be associated with 'criminal activity'. This press release is totally consistent with the police's ongoing campaign to disrupt, deligitimise and smear our campaign against building a new coal-fired power-station at Kingsnorth. Climate camper Terry Graves said, "Another day, another totally unsubstantiated claim from top cop Gary Beautridge. None of this is stopping us from having the conversations we need to have to tackle climate change. We won't be distracted."

Wednesday 10 am update. Local MP Bob Marshall-Andrews condems police action at climate camp (see BBC article), saying "I find the use of police in riot gear incomprehensible and I think it was a mistake." He also described the actions of the police as "provocation."

Surreally, as Britsh activists are arrested in China for flying banners, and the government has criticised the Chinese authorities over how they will treat protesters at the Bejing Olymipics, here in the UK, a letter has been delivered from Gary Beautridge, in charge of the farcical police operation here at the camp, which states his 'strategic objectives'. Number one on the list: "the protection of life". Oh yes, the police aggression is for our own good! Onwards, to "minimise disruption to the local community". Then why stop vehicles driving up Dux Court Lane? Why stop them entering the field or the car-park we provided? Last on the list is "To ensure a swift return to normality". Since when is it upto the police to define 'normality'? Is this a Xinhua press release, or an Assistant Chief Constable of a UK police force? Gary Beautridge is clearly out of his depth, and before Saturday must be moved aside. He's clearly lost the plot.

Anyway, the policing is a v. minor part of the camp. Camp life is very relaxed (bit tired mind). Last night say a panel discussion "Achieving 90% reductions in emissions: the role of the state", with Keir Milburn, of political magazine Turbulence, and journalist-campaigner George Monbiot and others, with around 500 people packed into the big marquee. A recording of this should be available soon. Afterewards the Ceildh was great.

Tuesday 9 pm update. Workshops packed, with climate science by Dr Simon Lewis, and mass action training in amongst the over-flying helicopter. By evening, lots of people arriving. Two-hour wait to get 'stop-and-searched' proves too much, and 100 people refuse and head straight to camp! Normal day really (execpt the mental police press release), with all being calm - it's hotting up for the biggest climate camp ever!

Tuesday 12 noon update. Campers condem smear by police. "Last year it was bombs at Heathrow, this year it is knives in a wood, every year it's something, and always, always these crazy stories turn out to be untrue." said Paul Sumburn at the Camp.

Tuesday 11.30 am update. "The Camp for Climate Action condems in the strongest possible terms the police press release issued 20 minutes ago as a totally irresponsibe stunt to deter people coming to the Camp for Climate Action. To link a 'stash' of knives allegedly found somewhere in the Hoo Peninsula to the Camp for Climate Action is nothing but a smear campaign against us. To suggest that the campers - environmentalists living at a camp serving only vegan food - would even consider hurting a police horse shows the police's press release to be nothing but policial policing," said Ester Davies at the camp when we heard the 'news'.

We have asked Bob Marshall-Andrews MP, Colin Challon MP, Caroline Lucas MEP and Chris Davies MEP, who have already sent a letter to Gary Beautridge to complain about his policing of the event, to investigate this bizzare claim of the police.

We remind everyone that somebody (police?, BAA?) started a similar smear campaign against us last year at Heathrow, reported by the Evening Standard, who we persued through the Press Complaints Commission and won our case. We will vigourously persue any unsubstantiated claims against the camp. We welcome critical reporting. But outright lies must challenged.

Don't be deterred - come to the camp!

Tuesday 10 am update. All quiet on the western front (also known as 'gate 5'). A good calm nights sleep for all, workshops programme on schedule, with mass action planning, discussion on agrofuels, off-grid renewable energy and Marx's views on ecology, to name four things happening now. Finishing touches to the site in full swing, with a cinema, bakery and computer suite open today. Yet, at 8 am this morning the police rejected outright yesterday evenings camp offer of a patrol of two police officers once an hour. So the police are still being weird. Apart from that all is cool.

From yesterday, the bail-breakers all got in bar one, who is in court today. We'll bring news as we have it, but lots of people have gone to support him in Chatam court. Arthur Scargil talked (for hours!) on the problems of building a new coal-fired powerstation at Kingsnorth which used no UK coal and is not planned to be fitted with technology to bury the carbon emission under the sea (known as carbon capture and storage CCS). He put forward a strong proposal that with CCS there was a role for deep-mined coal from the UK. Discussions on the importance of unions in solving climate change continued in the evening plenary on 'capitalism and climate change'. Important stuff.

Monday 7 pm update. Climate camp rollercoaster continues... all police have left (repect to all those on the gates!), a massive welcome plenary just finished with 400 people getting the low-down on how the camp works. This years neighbourhood fashion accessory seems to be music, and all is relaxed on the site. At 7.30 tonight sees a panel discussion on climate change and capitalism with campers and MEP Caroline Lucas. Six-hundred people ate last night and we think there are probably about 800-900 people here... and growing all the time...

Monday 3 pm update. Astonishing scenes at climate camp - Normal Baker Lib-Dem MP pushed by riot police, and luckily the pepper-spray went past him! He's now condeming the police actions live on Sky News and recording for BBC. Riot police, with helmets and sheilds entered the site from four sides. Those police inside are wandering around in circles. It doesnt feel dangerous, just surreal. The centre of the huge site is still an oasis of calm (and internet access!).

The general feeling is of confusion. The police have repeatedly stated that they would "facilitate lawful protest", and of course going to workshops is lawful. Everything was fine for the past 24 hours - then this. It could be due to some kind of macho-policing where they feel they couldn't back down from a botched assertion of force at 5.30 am, or some attempt to deter people from coming to the camp, as its pretty large and inspiring, with people arriving all the time. Don't be put off by this political policing and intimidation. It's all calm in the middle - although it fluctuates near the gates. Come to the camp, and if not, keep reading the blog...

Monday morning update. We were rudely awoke at 5.30 this morning by police, which caused a bit of panic, and lots of texts were sent out on our text info line which made things sound bad - when they aren't. Currently (10 am) the welcome plenary is happening. At the back of the camp, there is still a good-humoured 'stand off', with workshops happening on our side of the fence, while the riot police in full gear sweat on the other side. The front gate is open as normal, with more people arriving by the hour. Across the rest of the camp its all go, and we're up-and-running as normal. It's a beautiful sunny day and the camp looks amazing. We will sort out the text info line, apologies to those who got six texts before breakfast!

By Sunday afternoon, under a giant 'no new coal' banner, an experiment in sustainable living has arisen. Neighbourhood kitchens gently compete to see who can cook the tastiest dinner, dozens of marquees stand waiting for the talks and workshops beginning tomorrow. 'Be the Media' internet is here, as is the cinema, all powered by renewables.

The field is huge, so now there are hundreds of people it still feels quite small. It hasn't been plain-sailing, the police, who've left site just an hour ago (at long last!), have been confiscating odd items. Hilariously (and annoyingly) they confiscated 10 kg of handmade biodegradable soap – activists in no soap shocker! Despite this excitement is building waiting for the Caravan and Rochester March to arrive.

The big camp news for Monday is that five people who were part of a group who hijacked a coal train on the way to Drax power station – site of the first climate camp - are currently bailed not to attend the climate camp. Why these people, who have not even been charged with an offence yet, are not allowed to attend meetings about climate change has never been explained. Nevertheless, these five are determined to make the most of the brilliant camp, and risk jail to highlight the seriousness of the risk of climate change (see the letter from the bailed people in yesterdays guardian). At 3 pm, they will visit the camp... watch the TV, or this space for what happens next...

Other news is that Monday sees Arthur Scargill, ex-president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and iconic figure of the 1980's miners strike who fought against Thatchers attack on the working class and their unions, attend the camp for a discussion on the potential resurgence of coal. There are sure to be lots of different opinions - but for me that's one of the great things about climate camp. Where else will you find radical environmentalists, energy workers, and local residents all in the same place?

On the media front, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, feeling under pressure, felt the need to get out of bed on a Sunday morning to go on Sky news and try to defend building a power-station that would emit 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – more than countries like Costa Rica or Cameroon. While the Telegraph website ran a story headlined "Former chief scientist, Sir David King, attacks new coal power station plans".

Climate campers have also been giving lots of interviews, and are keen to go head-to-head with E.ON's Chief Executive live on TV. Yet despite all the talk of E.ON about wanting dialogue, they the don't seem so confident now the camp has started!

Everything you need to know to come and be part of the Camp is on this website. We look forward to seeing you and working together to build a mass movement for climate justice.

See you there.