Political 'ambush' of Big Green Gathering

[TonyGosling]

Festival cancellation 'political'

Brig Oubridge accused the authorities of trying to bankrupt the gathering
Organisers of a Somerset festival that was cancelled over safety concerns have claimed a "political" decision had been taken to close the event down.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8170533.stm

The Big Green Gathering, due to begin on Wednesday near Cheddar, was pulled by organisers when the council said it was seeking an injunction against it.

Festival chief Brig Oubridge accused the council and police of deliberately trying to bankrupt the event.

The council said it had done all it could to ensure the event went ahead.

Mr Oubridge said when the festival team met council officials and the police on Thursday there had been no mention of a potential injunction.

He said organisers were encouraged to continue spending on site infrastructure and other features.

The festival team said they have learned that the decision to apply for a closure was "political" and was taken a week ago, having been ordered "at the highest level".

"If they knew they were going to cancel the event, we can only conclude that this drive to increase expenditure appears to be a deliberate attempt to bankrupt the Big Green Gathering," Mr Oubridge said.

The event, which was expected to attract up to 20,000 revellers, has been held in the county since 1994.

Mr Oubridge said it has an "exemplary" health and safety record.

Mendip District Council said it had concerns about internal security, traffic management, medical provisions and fire safety arrangements.

A council spokesman denied the authority had been slow in letting the festival team know of their reservations.

He said the council and police had done everything possible to ensure the event went ahead and that the decision to apply for an injunction had been taken only "at the very last minute" after Thursday's meeting.

He pointed out that if anything had gone wrong at the festival the council would have been held responsible.

"If festival organisers were confident that they were meeting the licence conditions, they could have challenged the injunction," he added.

Organisers said they were not sure if the event would continue after this year or whether they would be able to offer refunds on the £125 tickets.

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Is the Big Green Gathering another victim of the crackdown on dissent?
Organisers of the long-running festival have reason to believe that an excuse was contrived to bankrupt them
Guardian - 3rd August 2009 - George Monbiot
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/aug/03/gre en-activism-police-licence


MENDIP Customer Services
Cannards Grave Road,
Shepton Mallet,
Somerset BA4 5BT
Telephone 01749 648999
Fax: 01749 344050
Email: customerservices@mendip.gov.uk

DISTRICT COUNCIL Minicom: 01749 341622
www.mendip.gov.uk
Your Ret DX: 43001 Shepton Mallet My Ret SM/BGG
Direct Line:01749 341268

Please Reply to: Suzanne McCutcheon BWaii: suzanne.mccutcheon@mendip.gov.uk 24 July 2009

The Big Green Gathering

We write further to our letter dated 21st July 2009 and the subsequent meetings on 23rd July 2009. The licensing authority is not satisfied that you have in place arrangements that will enable you to comply with the licence conditions and so promote the licensing objectives.

Accordingly, the authority has decided to apply for an injunction without further notice to you, and is in the process of preparing papers for that purpose.

We would be grateful if you would give us an address for service of the application for an injunction, preferably an e-mail address, so that we can serve papers on youand details of the time and place of the hearing, in good time.

We strongly advise that you obtain legal advice on the contents of this letter. There are a number of fundamental issues, the most important of which are:

• A lack of assurance that you have a security company contracted to provide event security in accordance with the licence conditions and Event Management Plan, including the position of Silver Control.

• A lack of assurance that you have a traffic management company contracted to provide traffic management and signage in accordance with the licence conditions and Event Management Plan.

• A lack of assurance that you will obtain a Road Closure Order in time for therunning of the event.

• A lack of assurance that you will have in place an appropriate level of servicefrom the South West Ambulance Service at the event.

• A lack of assurance that you have in place a fire safety consultant, proper Fire Safety Management Strategy, Fire Safety Risk Assessment and the relevant certification in relation to fire safety equipment for the event.

Many of the issues appear to relate to lack of finance for the event, and they do not appear to be resolving themselves.

We intend to issue proceedings and attend Court first thing on Monday morning, 27s1July 2009, unless by 4.30 p.m. today we have:

• A signed undertaking to the licensing authority by your security company to provide event security services, including Silver Control, in accordance with the licence conditions and Event Management Plan.

• A signed undertaking to the licensing authority by your traffic managementcompany to provide traffic management and signage in accordance with the licence conditions and Event Management Plan.

• The written assurance of the highway authority that you will obtain a Road Closure Order in time for the running of the event.

• The written, unconditional, assurance from South West Ambulance Service that they will be providing an appropriate level of service at the event.

• The Fire Safety Management Strategy, Fire Safety Risk Assessment and the relevant certification in relation to fire safety equipment for the event.

We would request that you deal with the contents of this letter with the utmost urgency. We have been highly concerned that matters have been allowed to drift, and we now believe that, absent the assurances that we need that there are plans properly in place for the management of this major event, it should be wound down inan orderly manner this weekend.

I have included my direct dial telephone number and direct e-mail address on thisletter, to ensure that appropriate contact is maintained.


Suzanne McCutcheon

Neighbourhood Services Group Manager





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the mendip-police timeline

30th June Tuesday: The Mendip Council issue certificate for the event to proceed

16 th July Thursday: Police start planning Operation Fortress to surround and close off the site at Fernhill farm

23rd July Thursday: Mendip Council write letter announcing that they are issuing an injunction against the BGG

24 July Friday: Aforesaid letter received by directors

24 -25th July: Directors consult barrister to fight injunction who agrees he can contest everything but unsure about road closure order.

26th July Sunday: Directors and farmer informed that the injunction will be issued against the farmer as well as directors.

Directors agree to return licence to Council . Police officer heard to announce into his radio “Operation fortress is go”

27th July Monday: Injunction due to be issued against the BGG to prevent the event happening

28th July Tuesday: Facilitators due to arrive on site

29th July Wednesday: Event due to open to ticket holders

31st July Friday: As site is cleared, evidence that road closure order was issued found on site fences.

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:37 am Post subject:

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[Thermate911]

Judging by the responses to the OP there's not much interest here in large informal gatherings being a useful arena for getting 911 truth out.

Yet a pattern emerges...

[TonyGosling]

My God
SF is a lovely grassroots festival.
Britain is fast becoming a fascist country

Like te right to strike the right to gather is being stripped from us by police lawyers and their netorks - and we all know what that means - freemasonry

[Disco_Destroyer]

They be also clamping down on others plus Biker Rallies...but we're free!