Latest news with #RichardBarnard
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Blooming, booming bitterns heard across Yorkshire
Record numbers of bittern booming calls have been heard in Yorkshire during the bird's breeding season, the RSPB has of the rarest breeding birds in the UK, the bittern is also Britain's loudest bird due to the sound males make in the bird was once extinct in the UK but returned in the 20th Century, although by 1997 there were only 11 males recorded in the RSPB said a record seven boomers had been heard at RSPB St Aidan's near Leeds, two at RSPB Fairburn Ings near Castleford, four at RSPB Blacktoft Sands in East Yorkshire, and in South Yorkshire's Dearne Valley reserves five had been recorded. The Yorkshire figures come on the back of the national annual bittern survey results announced in March, which showed 283 booming males were recorded in the latest results from the RSPB and Natural Barnard, Yorkshire area manager for the RSPB, said the results for the county were a "testament to the huge conservation efforts" made."At our three flagship wetland nature reserves in the region our teams have worked tirelessly to create and crucially maintain the reedbeds in tip-top condition for the bitterns to thrive."Most of our UK population can now be found in inland reedbeds, which means they are safe from coastal flooding." Bitterns are a secretive and rare bird and are dependent on reedbed habitats, seeking out fish, insects and amphibians on the water's is the male's far-carrying booming sound, made in spring and summer to establish territories and attract mates, which can help give conservationists an indication of how well the species is and draining of their wetland habitat saw the bittern extinct in the UK by the 1880s. They returned in the early 20th Century but were in danger of extinction in the UK again by the late prompted a wide-scale, targeted conservation effort led by the RSPB and Natural England to slow the decline and encourage numbers to increase. Emma Tuckey, from RSPB Old Moor near Barnsley, said it was "amazing to think that back in the 1990s we only had 11 booming bitterns left in the whole country"."It just goes to show, if you build it, they will come, and we've created acres of reedbeds across Yorkshire so that these amazing birds can thrive, not to mention delight our visitors with their booming calls."A minimum of five bitterns had fledged from the Dearne Valley so far this RSPB Blacktoft Sands, at least six young have fledged from two reserve manager Pete Short said seeing bitterns doing well was a "dream come true"."The excitement of hearing Britain's loudest bird is difficult to put into words."Thirty or 40 years ago you wouldn't have a chance of hearing bitterns in Yorkshire but now you can hear them here as well as right across the county, the Aire Valley and Dearne Valley."Their sound carries for miles when they are booming. You just have to hear a bittern boom and see one to really understand why we should save them." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Dartford warblers on the Dorset oilfields
When working as a librarian in a scientific research station for the gas industry, I was used to obscure demands for information. Among these were regular requests from the biologists about wildlife, flora and fauna on the Dorset oilfields. The Dartford warbler (Country diary, 30 June) was largely conserved due to the diligence of our scientists, anxious to ensure the drilling did not have an adverse effect on the natural habitat. Susan BaillieWeymouth, Dorset I was very pleased to see that your Wimbledon article mentioned next week's high court review of the approval of the All England Lawn Tennis Club's project to build '39 new tennis courts' (What to watch out for at Wimbledon 2025: no line judges and more expensive strawberries, 27 June). A shame that it did not add 'and an 8,000-seater stadium'.Sue JonesLondon I hate to sound crusty, but anyone concerned about the thickness of sliced bread (Letters, 1 July) should use their loaf and consider buying unsliced, or baking their own, and slicing it to BarnardWivenhoe, Essex Surely Daisy Buchanan, the author of your article (Choose comfort, ditch boring and prioritise pleasure – how to find the perfect beach read, 2 July), should read The Great GidlowFaversham, Kent A cautionary sign seen on a Scotrail train: 'Stay out: Bagpipe practice room' (Letters, 1 July).John CaskenWooler, Northumberland All these sayings are very annoying, but we are where we are (Letters, 2 July).Alison McIntoshEdinburgh Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The National
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Palestine Action rejects 'sham investigation' over claims it is funded by Iran
Palestine Action has rejected 'baseless claims' it is being funded by Iran and called an investigation by the UK Home Office a 'sham'. The group, which broke into RAF Brize Norton airbase last week and damaged two planes, could be designated as a terrorist organisation if MPs approve a UK government plan next week. The Home Office is said to be investigating the group's funding and potential links to Iran, according to unnamed sources, The Times reported. But the group, which was co-founded by activist Huda Ammori and former XR campaigner Richard Barnard, said they had not been contacted. 'The Home Office did not inform us of their sham investigation, neither did they consult us on proscription,' a spokesperson for Palestine Action told The National on Tuesday. 'It is baseless and utterly ridiculous to suggest we are receiving funding from Iran.' The spokesperson accused the Home Office of spreading rumours to gain support for its move to ban the group. 'This is a deliberate attempt by the Home Office to smear Palestine Action, in a bid to bolster their draconian move to ban a protest group.' Palestine Actions donations, they said, came from 'ordinary people' who support the movement. Among them is James 'Fergie' Chambers, an American communist and heir to a multi-billion-pound conglomerate, who said in a 2023 interview that he was paying Palestine Action's legal fees. The Home Office refused to comment on Tuesday, after Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said he could not rule out the possibility of a foreign power backing Palestine Action. 'It is extremely concerning they gained access to that base, and the Defence Secretary is doing an immediate review of how that happened,' he said in a BBC interview on Sunday. The campaign group engages in 'direct action' demonstrations that involve spray-painting the premises of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems and other companies they allege are linked to it. In recent months, Palestine Action prayed the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint because of its alleged links to Elbit, as well as US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. It faces hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees as many of its activists face trial for charges such as criminal damage, burglary, blackmail and encouraging criminal damage. But the move to designate the group as a terrorist organisation – though popular in government – has raised concerns that it could be a step too far. The group has faced challenges opening bank accounts in recent months, before the proposal to designate them was floated. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign – which is not connected to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign based in London – said it had agreed to give Palestinian Action access to its banking services a 'few months ago'. But the proposed proscription has caused the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign to think twice about the arrangement. 'We're reviewing that in a friendly way,' said Mick Napier, a spokesperson for the group. Hundreds of demonstrators in London supporting Palestine Action on Monday said they feared that the proposed designation was intended to diminish the wider mainstream support for Palestine. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organises fortnightly marches in London and keeps a distance from Palestine Action, condemned the move as 'part of a wider crackdown on those protesting for Palestinian rights' that would 'only serve to degrade the meaning of terrorism'. If Parliament approves the order, Palestine Action will join the 81 organisations have been proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, including Islamist groups such as Hamas and Al Qaeda, far-right groups such as National Action, Russian private military company the Wagner Group and Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The failure to crush other Left-wing extremists created Palestine Action
The Government is allegedly planning to proscribe Palestine Action, the direct action group, as a terrorist organisation – but is it only the tip of a far-Left iceberg? The group was set up in 2020 by Richard Barnard, a former Extinction Rebellion activist, and Huda Ammori, who worked for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Barnard is a classic crusty, with tattoos including an Irish Republican slogan and Buddhist chants. Ammori was born to Arab parents and grew up in Bolton. She has said her Palestinian great-grandfather was involved in the 1936 Arab Revolt there, and that he was killed by British soldiers. The alliance between these two individuals shows how the far-Left and causes in the Islamic world have combined. The group have primarily targeted Elbit, an Israeli defence firm with factories in Britain, in a five-year sabotage campaign which has involved ram-raiding gates and destroying machines with sledgehammers. In 2024 a police officer had to be taken to hospital after being hit with one of those hammers, in an attack on Elbit's HQ in Bristol, as commented on by Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley. The group has targeted any business with links to Elbit, including their lawyers and landlords, in an effort to drive them out of business. They've successfully caused several businesses to cut ties, and the model has been imitated by groups using their name in the USA, Italy, and Norway among others. In 2023 they published a manual on how to run an underground cell, which even included a recommendation that activists use Kelly's Solicitors in Brighton, who are well known for their focus on protest-related cases. The authorities have regularly failed to tackle the group, with activists regularly given desultory sentences. Shortly after the announcement that they were to be proscribed, Palestine Action posted a graphic on Twitter/X showing the logos of 35 groups who supported a protest against the proscription. It won't be a surprise to see groups like CAGE or Muslim Engagement and Development listed, but the graphic also includes seemingly unrelated groups such as No More Exclusions, who campaign against school exclusions, and Reclaim the Power, a direct action group who protest the use of fossil fuels. Nor is it only small groups. Campaigning organisations like Liberty and Amnesty International have also criticised the move, as well as lawyers from well-known chambers like Doughty Street, various Corbynista MPs, and even the Irish novelist Sally Rooney. The Prime Minister was himself a legal officer for Liberty in the 1980s and was a barrister at Doughty Street chambers for most of his legal career. Indeed, as some have pointed out, in 2003 Keir Starmer defended the Fairford Five, a group of anti-war protestors who broke into an RAF airbase to damage planes at the start of the Iraq War (working as a barrister, the PM was of course subject to the 'cab rank' rule). Palestine Action are just the latest in a long line of violent protest groups which have been nurtured and defended by institutions on the Left. The failure of the authorities to nip this in the bud has allowed the group to escalate to this dangerous level. Proscription might well end the threat of Palestine Action, but as the history of its founders shows, many of its activists will simply shift to new radical groups. Only taking a tougher line on all far-Left protest groups will prevent its place being taken by something similar.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What we know about pro-Palestine Action protest today
The head of the Metropolitan Police has said he is "shocked and frustrated" about a planned protest in London on Monday in support of Palestine Action. The group is on the verge of being proscribed by the government, effectively branding it a terrorist organisation. Last week, Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two British military planes with red paint in protest against support for Israel in the war in Gaza. The group has called the government plan to proscribe it as "absurd", but home secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to outline the plan in Parliament on Monday. Palestine Action is a protest network in support of Palestine that takes direct action against Israeli weapons factories based in the UK, often occupying premises, or causing criminal damage and vandalism. Palestine Action was founded by Huda Ammori, 31, and Richard Barnard, 51, and was established on 30 July 2020 when activists broke into the UK headquarters of Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems in London and sprayed red paint in the interior. Ammori, from Bolton, was born to a Palestinian father and an Iraqi mother, and graduated from the University of Manchester, and was a supporter of the Labour Party when it was led by Jeremy Corbyn. Barnard, raised Catholic, is a former member of the radical Catholic Worker movement and Extinction Rebellion. Palestine Action has staged a number of protests in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli weapons company Elbit, as well as vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland. A spokesperson for Palestine Action said: 'When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' A protest in support of Palestine Action is set for midday on Monday in central London. Originally, protesters had been told to gather at the Houses of Parliament, but this was changed on Monday morning to Trafalgar Square. But Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said on Sunday: 'I'm sure many people will be as shocked and frustrated as I am to see a protest taking place tomorrow in support of Palestine Action. 'This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered. 'The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it, but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest." Rowley said that until the group is proscribed the Metropolitan Police has 'no power in law' to prevent the protest taking place, adding that breaches of the law would be 'dealt with robustly'. On Monday, home secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to deliver a statement to be put before Parliament to proscribe Palestine Action, which would effectively brand it a terror group. She has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. After laying out an order in Parliament, it would need to be backed by MPs and the House of Lords for the group to be banned. If passed, it would make it a criminal offence to belong to Palestine Action or support it. There are currently 81 organisations that are proscribed, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida. Palestine Action member Saeed Taji Farouky told the BBC the government plan to proscribe the group was "absurd". He said it "rips apart the very basic concepts of British democracy and the rule of law" and added: "It's something everyone should be terrified about." On Friday, Palestine Action posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. In the clip, one person rides an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appears to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being investigated by counter-terror police. However, former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer said vandalising aircraft at RAF Brize Norton would not solely provide legal justification for proscribing the group. He told Sky News: "Generally, that sort of demonstration wouldn't justify proscription so there must be something else that I don't know about.' The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the government's stance, with chief executive Gideon Falter saying: 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' The group has previously targeted Jewish-owned businesses that it says are linked to Elbit Systems, commenting: "We treat all businesses which work with Israel's biggest weapons firm equally, whether they're 'Jewish-owned' or not." Former home secretary Suella Braverman said banning the group was 'absolutely the correct decision'. However, Tom Southerden, from Amnesty International UK, said: 'Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn't be used to ban them. 'Instead of suppressing protest against the UK's military support for Israel, the UK should be taking urgent action to prevent Israel's genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it.' And former shadow attorney general Baroness Shami Chakrabarti told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday: 'They certainly committed acts of criminal trespass and criminal damage, painting planes at Brize Norton and so on, but I think that's not what most people would understand as terrorism, and to proscribe Palestine Action on the information that we have all seen, I think would be a new departure."
