Superglue Protester's Identity Revealed As Climate Camp Ends
August 24, 2010
- Climate Camp draws to a close and protesters return field to original condition
- Protesters accuse police of scaremongering
- Secret identity of woman super-glued to front desk of RBS revealed
After a week of direct actions, the Camp for Climate Action protest outside of RBS HQ at Gogarburn draws to a close and protestors work to return site to its original state.
“Climate Camp is bewildered by police claims of oil being spilled on a main road, and we have no knowledge who was responsible for it if the incident did take place. All the other actions using oil-like substance were molasses, a sugar-based substance.
“Breaking the law to stop climate crimes from happening has become a necessity, but our protests never aim to endanger the public”
The secret identity of the woman who superglued herself to RBS HQ reception desk last Friday has been revealed as Dongaria Kondh. The protester, who prefers to keep her former name secret, had changed her legal name to that of an indigenous community threatened by RBS-financed mineral extraction company Vedanta. She refuses to change her name back until the Dongria Kondh are given back their land.
After she was removed from the front desk, she was held for 75 hours, and bailed away from Lothian and Edinburgh on a charge of Breach of the Peace. She has been involved in a successful campaign against a coal mine in the area where she raised her children.
She entered the building intending to speak with Andrew Cave from the sustainability office, and announced herself as Dongaria Kondh. She had taken with her a report commissioned by the Indian government which concluded that Vedanta has illegally enclosed and occupied land belonging to the Dongaria Kondh, and consistently violated numerous environmental laws in active collusion with state officials. She had previously sent the report to Andrew Cave, and had attempted to arrange a meeting with him but received no reply to her email.
Ms Kondh said, “It seems so unfair that bullyboy corporations can ride roughshod over people who just want to continue their lives living in harmony with their environment. When I heard last week that a tribal leader had been murdered and 2 others tortured by police, I felt that I had to do something to help. I remembered the film in which the rebel slaves all stand up and say “I am Spartacus” and that gave me the idea to change my name to Dongaria Kondh.
“Supergluing yourself to a table and reading out loud is a pretty harmless thing to do, but I hope my action will help shine the light of day onto what is really going on and where OUR money is really
going after the banking collapse. I am feeling a bit worn out after 75 hours in custody, but I hope it’s been worth it.”
ENDS
For interviews and photographs, contact: press@climatecamp.org.uk / 07040 900 905
Photographs can be viewed at www.climatecamp.org.uk
NOTES
-Vedanta, who run bauxite mining operations in the Niyamairi hills of India, has previously come under fire for its disastrous human rights and environmental record. Protests at Vedanta’s AGM received widespread attention. The report describes that the forest-based livelihoods of the local communities and a rich wildlife habitat, including an elephant corridor, is being threatened by Vedanta’s operations in the area.
- Dongria Kondh’s trial will be in March. She can be contacted at 07847815926 for interviews.