Footage from the recent biodiesel bus tour of London....
Showing posts with label Bus Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bus Tour. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Sunday, 31 May 2009
A Tearful End To The Bus Tour
From Manor House, we turned on the bus microphone, and began announcements -- "this bus is run on cooking oil" ... "re-elect Jean Lambert as London MEP" ... "if you are disillusioned by the main three parties, there is a clean and green alternative, vote for Jean Lambert on the 4th of June" -- up through Green Lanes, Turnpike Lane, Muswell Hill, and then to Crouch End.
At Crouch End Broadway, we made our final stop, at a stall run by the Haringey Green Party. Expect great things from the Haringey team in the 2010 local elections. Their council, on paper, is pregnant with Green possibility.
Following her Channel 4 interview, Jean rejoined the bus for its final event. We engaged with late afternoon passersby, and posed for photos for the local paper in Haringey.
We then offloaded our leaflets, t-shirts, laptops, tasty homemade cakes, cameras and video equipment, and thanked Joe, our driver, profusely. He set off for the motorway north to Crewe, as the North West campaign has the bus for the next few days.
Over the two day tour, we had eight nationalities helping on the bus (from Irish to Spanish to Canadian to Polish). Our wonderful photographer was Lorenzo Tugnoli. And the bus tour couldn't have come together without Remco van der Stoep, who co-ordinated all the logistics.
We hope the North West enjoys the bus as much as we did.
Hackney Bike Escort
The bus made quite a sight ... slowly passing over Tower Bridge into Aldgate. At Whitechapel, we picked up Chris, a filmmaker who lives in Tower Hamlets, and we dropped Jean off!
Jean needed to go off to Channel 4 News, who wanted to interview her about a new poll in the Times that showed the Greens leading UKIP.
With Ute Michel, our #2 candidate, we proceeded up into Hackney, and met up with twenty cyclists from the Hackney Green Party. With the cyclists leading us as an honour guard, we slowly drove past Hackney Town Hall, through Lower and Upper Clapton, before cutting across to Stoke Newington High Street.
We received lots of friendly waves as we passed patios and pubs on Stoke Newington Church Street. The cyclists then led us down to Newington Green.
Coming northward again, we said our goodbyes to our cycling breathern at Clissold Park, before heading up towards Green Lanes.
Saturday in New Cross
After leaving Brixton, we travelled through the streets of East Dulwich and Peckham, notably passing Peckham Library, to arrive in New Cross.
There, just beside Goldsmiths, Jean was met by volunteers and ward councillors with the Lewisham Green Party. Lewisham is one of our target constituencies for the next general election (along with Norwich South and Brighton Pavilion).
At a street stall, we handed out leaflets to passersby. We were even serenaded with a song by one of them, about pollution!
Ute Michel, #2 on the Green Party's list of candidates for London, joined the bus at this point, as we departed for Tower Bridge and beyond (Whitechapel, Hackney and Haringey).
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Uptown Oil / Brixton
10am -- After gathering at Jubilee Gardens, next to the London Eye, we took the bus to Southwark, for a fascinating meeting at Uptown Oil. Uptown oil was the company supplying the recycled biodiesel, made from used chip oil, that powered the bus.
We were given a quick tour of the processing plant. Uptown Oil supplies many local restaurants with cooking oil, and then collects it from them after use, to be recycled into fuel. This is used by many London taxis.
This is an inspirational business!
Peter Tatchell, one of the most determined human rights campaigners, caught up with us in Southwark, to give his backing to Jean's re-election campaign. Peter had just returned from the Moscow Gay Pride events, where he was supporting LGBT campaigners who were fighting persecution and homophobia.
He spoke to Jean about her work in the European Parliament -- to improve legislation, to enshrine in law equal rights for all, and also to ensure that all EU countries implement those laws in practice.
Peter came with us to Elephant and Castle. After dropping him off, we continued on to Clapham and Brixton.
1130am - We received a lively reception in Brixton from Joseph Healy, the #4 candidate on the European elections list, and several other candidates from Lambeth Green Party.
Despite roadworks in front of the Ritzy Cinema being against us -- congratulations to Joe, our driver, for navigating the busy streets -- we engaged with many residents on the street who told us they would be voting Green.
We then departed to New Cross -- playing our party election broadcast to the people of Lambeth. As it says: if you believe that fairness, integrity and the environment belong at the heart of politics, then you think exactly like us.
Friday, 29 May 2009
South Bank / Critical Mass at Waterloo Bridge
From Westminster, we passed the over the river several times before making our final stop on the South Bank, next to the BFI.
It's a beautiful Friday afternoon. Cyclists are slowly gathering for the critical mass event, and hundreds of people are lying on the lawns by the river.
We're broadcasting our message to an interested audience -- that there is an alternative to the three main parties: vote Green for a better future, for peace, human riughts and the environment.
There's a carnival atmosphere as we unleash our upbeat, soulful music through the speakers. We become surrounded by the hundreds of bikes setting off for their evening ride around the city to reclaim the streets for cyclists and pedestrians.
It's a great end to an exhilarating day aboard Jean's battle bio-bus.
Next stop: Uptown Oil tomorrow morning at 10am. We're going to stock up on recycled biodiesel, made from used cooking oil. This bus might look red, but it is, without doubt, Green!
Stall In Westminster
We parked up in Westminster for a while and leafletted the crowds. The paper windmills whizzing round on the stall were testament to the ambundant, untapped, clean, renewable energy we have in the UK.
Laps of Parliament Square
En route to stopping at Tothill Hill street, just near Westminster Abbey, we passed by the Tamils protest on Parliament Square. Jean gave a message of support (below) to them through our amplified mic, and expressed her disgust at the UN's decision not to investigate alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, given the horrendous human rights violations that have taken place during the conflict.
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Jean Lambert's message of support to Tamil protesters and Brian Haw:
“This is the Green Party supporting the Tamil people in their struggle for autonomy, condemning the United Nations for not supporting the calls for an inquiry into the violence which has been happening in the north of Sri Lanka. This is the Green Party calling for a full inquiry into what war crimes have been committed, what weapons have been used, and how many of the Tamil people have died in this appalling conflict."
“This is the Green Party supporting those who have lost family, who know nothing of what has happened to their friends or relations in the north of Sri Lanka."
“This is the Green Party in support of Brian Haw and his ongoing support for all those suffering from war and deprivation. Brian should be allowed to stay in Parliament Square as long as he wants to but we want to see our troops home, we want to see an end to the violence.”
"State of Nigerian Nation" Summit, Holloway
The sun is shining, and we've finally arrived in Holloway, having taken a slow route past Heathrow airport and through Chiswick, Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush.
We're receiving lots of encouraging smiles and thumbs up as we go! This beautiful original 1968 Routemaster is causing quite a stir.
Past Euston and a very busy Kings Cross station, we've been along some of the most congested routes in London and the worst affected by poor air quality; a real issue in London and one that causes severe problem serious health problems for many Londoners. Jean has been fighting both here and at the EU level for tough action to reduce emissions and traffic.
Jean is now giving a speech to the Nigeria Liberty Forum on democracy and human rights in Nigeria. As a Green, she has long been concerned about the role of oil companies in the Ogoni region. 90% of Nigeria's population live on less than $2 per day. The detrimental impact of some western oil companies, Shell in particular, on the environment and local communities, is devastating the region.
In 2007, elections in Nigeria broke down. Violence, corruption and criminality have become all too common in the society, and have come to characterise Nigeria's politics.
Jean has written to the European Commission to press for EU action to tackle corruption in Nigeria. She will continue to demand that oil companies be forced to operate at the same high environmental standards that would be expected if they were here in the EU.
Before leaving home this morning, Jean spoke to Colourful Radio about the meeting today, which marks 10 years since the return of democracy to the African state - an anniversary whose sentiment is rather hollow given the current failings of the political system.
Some leafletting, a snadwich, then we'll be on our way to Westminster for 3pm!
Report From Sipson Stop - Heathrow Expansion
In Sipson, Jean met John Stewart from HACAN ClearSkies (top photo, above left) and a number of local residents from Sipson, Harlington and Harmondsworth. The main residents group was NoTRAG.
Jean spoke with a residents who were particularly concerned about the threat to Harlington and Harmondsworth and were worried about the focus on Sipson. They were keen to point out that other villages are under threat, and many more people will be affected than just the residents of Sipson.
The residents gave Jean and the bus a very warm welcome.
They expressed that the Greens were the only Party that they could trust, because we have such a strong record on opposing Heathrow expansion, on environmental issues and planning. The Greens won't put big business before the concerns and welfare of local communities.
There was a general feeling of anger, particularly against the main parties. They have spoken good words against airport expansion, but haven't stuck to that position when it's come to taking political action.
John Hunt (#7 on our London list for the European elections) introduced John Stewart and Jean, then both speakers delivered speeches. Jean then gave an interview to BBC London TV.
The bus then departed for Harmondsworth, and on to Chiswick!
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