Occupy EDF

The group South-West Against Nuclear (SWAN) are calling for an international day of action and occupation of EDF offices/facilities on Monday15th Febuary to demand that EDF withdraw from the Hinkley C project & give up their nuclear ambitions in the UK. On the following day, February 16th cash-strapped EDF will meet to decide whether to continue with their new nuclear plant at Hinkley C in Somerset or not. It could go either way.

The EDF occupations we are calling for on the 15th of February are part of the Groundswell year of action for climate justice. Justice that we believe is being denied by government collusion with the nuclear industry. Nuclear Power is not needed, clean reliable safe renewable energy is. The Current Tory Government plans to heavily subsidize new nuclear while slashing support for renewables and denying them grid capacity, which is being reserved for future nuclear plants. The plans for Hinkley C have already skewed energy policy in the UK causing the government to withdraw support for safer cleaner technologies and community-owned energy projects through the electricity reform act.

But EDF still can't afford to build Hinkley C without more financial support from the French government, and we know that the EDF board is split over whether to proceed, with EDF unions heavily opposed. A decision by EDF to pull out now would leave a huge hole in the Tory's energy plan of nuclear and gas. The field would then be wide open again for renewables - the only affordable, safe and democratic energy future we have.

This could be a decisive moment for all of us. By putting visible pressure on French state-owned EDF to drop Hinkley C we can highlight that it is not just people in Britain who are being made to pay, but French tax-payers too. This could tip the balance in France against the Hinkley C white elephant.

Help us by occupying EDF @ their shops, offices or other facilities, on Monday February 15th, Bring slogans in French as well as English, post pictures to social media use the Hashtag #OccupyEDF and spread the word. The red line theme that has been used throughout the COP talks will be a welcome inclusion for anyone that wants to!

EDF workers in France know that this ill-fated project could take EDF down, with the company threatening to raid it's nuclear decommissioning 'nest-egg' in order to finance the Hinkley Deal.

We have a message for the EDF board – Safe Clean Affordable Energy is our number one priority – pull the plug on the doomed HPC project before it bleeds any more billions away, bankrupts EDF, and wrecks the UK's renewable future.