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'Climate caravans' to join march Climate campaigners staging march
(about 17 hours later)
Climate change protesters are making final preparations for the start of a week-long protest camp at the proposed site of a new coal-fired power station. Climate campaigners are due to stage a march and rally in Kent on the first day of a week-long protest against plans for a coal-fired power station.
Several "climate caravans" have been heading for Hoo, in Kent, where activists have set up the Climate Camp near the Kingsnorth power station. More than 200 activists are camping in a field outside the Kingsnorth plant on the Hoo peninsula and numbers are expected to double during Sunday.
They are expected to join a march from Rochester to Kingsnorth on Sunday. Protesters have planned a seven-mile march from Rochester to the power station, starting at midday.
Kent Police said it had a £1m law enforcement budget, with 1,400 officers from 26 forces on standby. Kent Police said it had 1,400 officers from 26 forces on standby.
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge, said: "We have made it clear to the protesters that we expect them to abide by the law.
"I hope that the march will be conducted safely, peacefully and with minimum impact on local people."
Campaigner Mel Evans told the BBC: "We need to take action now on climate change.
"Coal is the dirtiest of fuels and we cannot have another coal fuelled power station in this country.
"What we need to see is massive investment in renewables.
"Burning coal is putting massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and we need to reduce our emissions not increase them."
Mounted police
The eco-activists want to halt plans for a coal-fired unit at Kingsnorth.
E.ON UK has said it will demolish the existing plant and replace it with a coal-fired unit that is 20% cleaner. The plans still need government approval.
If approved, E.ON said the power station would be operational by 2012 and provide energy for 1.5 million homes.
Protesters started to pitch tents outside the plant on Wednesday.
A day of direct action has been planned on Saturday which participants say will "shut down" the 2,000 megawatt plant which supplies electricity to 1.5 million homes in the South East.
Kent Police said it has a £1m law enforcement budget. Officers on standby include mounted police from the City of London.
Direct action
In the run-up to the camp, several "climate caravans" headed for Hoo - one group travelling through London in a caravan, dressed as penguins and polar bears.
Members of Maidstone Green Party joined one of the climate caravans on Saturday afternoon to lay a wreath at Allington Incinerator, which will burn waste from homes and businesses.Members of Maidstone Green Party joined one of the climate caravans on Saturday afternoon to lay a wreath at Allington Incinerator, which will burn waste from homes and businesses.
Another group set out from Heathrow airport last Sunday to walk the 60 miles to Kingsnorth.Another group set out from Heathrow airport last Sunday to walk the 60 miles to Kingsnorth.
'Good-natured' Protester Patrick Gillett told the BBC activists would "break the law or do whatever needs to take place to stop E.ON peacefully from profiting from climate change", on the day of planned direct action.
One of the walkers, Jimmy Pym, said they had stayed in church halls and Hackney City Farm on the way.
"It has been really good fun," he said.
"There were lots of good-natured drivers - we thought we would get a bit of grief, but everyone has been really supportive."
Camp organisers have said they intend to shut down the existing coal-fired plant.
"It is about direct action outside the camp. We will break the law or do whatever needs to take place to stop E.ON peacefully from profiting from climate change," protester Patrick Gillett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"We are planning to shut the coal-fired power station down and we are planning to come back when they create a new coal-fired power station."
'Much cleaner'
Simon Lewis, a researcher in earth systems science at Leeds University, who will join the camp on Sunday, said that Kingsnorth would emit 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of a country like Cameroon or Costa Rica.
But energy minister Malcolm Wicks said that protesters were naive, as a single new plant in the UK would have a tiny impact compared to the rapid development of power generation in countries such as China.
E.ON UK has said the new Kingsnorth would be much cleaner, using technology that would produce 20% less carbon emissions than the old plant.