Good-bye 2014..... ....some good memories... ...all the best to all of you ...love ya guts.... THE GENTLY BENTLEY WASH-UP - AT BENTLEY The Bentley Blockade left no doubt regarding the power of our collective expression when we stand united for a cause. Individuals from all levels of the community activated on many diverse levels. Our resounding success proved that when commonly focussed on the same issue, when all find their skilled position in the organism that is community - no government can stop that. The people who had been on the campaign trail for months or even years previous - such as Lock the Gate - Northern Rivers, Northern Rivers Guardians and Gas Field Free Northern Rivers for instance, naturally assumed organisational positions when the campaign moved out of the office and into the field. Given the twenty-four/seven situation of constant necessity to be alert that we found ourselves in, most of the responsible positions had to be shared. Other people who were considered to have level heads, were seconded into focaliser positions to ensure things kept on track and at least appear to be running smoothly. It sometimes took a lot of juggling by those mainly volunteer Co-ordinators and the Site Managers (who were called on when the camp was about to get to village size), to keep the camp and gates on track and functioning happily. If any one of the myriad systems necessarily created was to break down - be it the toilets or the delicate negotiations with the Police, it would make the cause that much harder to win. Outside camp and in the wider community, the donations and support from business and families who could not be there was incredible. It kept the Liberty Ship buoyant throughout, allowing us to obtain most things we needed, as the camp structure grew in proportion to the increasing numbers of people who kept turning up as time went on. The camp had to continually evolve to accommodate the increase on all the systems. It was often long and late hours of stressful work, and it only took one person to not comply with the agreed declaration and/or their own integrity, and be out-of-line to sap the already strained energy needed to maintain camp. Desired camp peace and unity was challenged from a number of angles. It iS hard to turn off mis-trust of authority. Mis-trust of authoritative decisions were why we were there at Bentley in the first place! So due to that healthy mis-trust, there were ripples of dissension talk about our internal authoritarians occasionally heard around the camp - and often stronger at the gates - as communications sometime broke down, and people had the same old ailment of feeling like they had been alienated and ridden over rough-shod, and not talked to enough, about some decisions… If we were to be a collective and not a corporation, we had better do it better. Most times we did....though there is always room for improvement. Finding time to communicate sometimes major decisions was difficult if people were on alert at Gates and couldnt attend daily meetings to tell people what was happening in interactions between our reps and the government and police - that were all going on constantly. The situation was always intensely evolving, minute to minute. This is not to mention the whole general air of intensity and high alert that the camp was constantly under - fuelled by gallons of coffee for some, which was sure to buy an extra general high alert…..ready for the authorities to turn up at any time…fight or flight mode…morning and night. Given that intensity, it was imperative to get off site really regularly. Most maintained a balance by leaving camp to find a shower. Many reported that the longer they stayed at Camp Liberty, the less the outside world seemed normal anymore…..So real was the human connection in camp - where time was not so much about money. It made many aware that we dont get the time to do some of the more important things, like stopping and listening to each other about deeper issues than the light chit-chat skimmed over in the hustle-bustle world outside the gate. It can only be described as a circus of colour, sound and movement that presented itself to the intrepid protector as… wending ones way about the camp… to the cafe…to the fire(s), to a jam - or even to one of the many meetings and workshops held somewhere, all types of community life on many levels could be witnessed….the kids space …the banner making area….people chopping and singing in the kitchen…the nanners…the greeting tent…and much more.. Most protectors remained singly focussed on the CSG issue at hand, and offered their skills, or did the menial tasks that just had to be done to ensure the success of the campaign. Anyone who deviated from the main game aim and went egotistical, or just started stuffing up, brought themselves back in line, or left. There was no tolerance for spending any energy on anything else but why we were there - to save our land and water. Those of us who got ourselves there seemed to all be in a process of untangling our thoughts - away from a controlling outward central authority. We had started creating our very own version of our desired reality, previous to arriving at Bentley. Clean water, for one, was a high priority. This so-called authority - thru successive governments, had attempted to infantilise us and belittle our free thought. By the time we got to Bentley, we had wrenched our minds from outward control. We realised that there was no other - that was going to stop the apparent rot-and-rush to oblivion that is Coal Seam Gas extraction………but us. Camp Liberty could be described as being driven by Anarchic Sovereignty, such was the no-one takes any orders but everyone takes responsibility for the Earth mode of operation at Bentley. Co-ordinators were careful not to give orders. It was more a case of suggesting if one would like to be involved……and all were keen! Much gratitude must be expressed here for the presence of the tribal people of this land on the Northern Rivers that we call home now. Without them, the camp wouldnt have had a tribal heart. We ensured support from all our ancestors by honouring the Wiabal/Widjabul and the Githabul people as best we knew how at that time. Everyone i am sure will agree, it made the action all the more special and wholly deep to be defending our mother Earth side-by-side with our Originie brothers and sisters. Thank you for giving us the grounding and spiritual earthing to break through to at least temporary success. It has shown us on every level that all is possible. We just need to work more on working better together. Bentley happened in amongst a group of people from all walks of life, black, white and brindle - dozens of nationalities thrown together unwittingly. The wild thing is that we were behaving for all intents and purposes like an extended family unit. A tribe…a social experiment on its feet and in motion, making waves in history without knowing it. Dare the earth-wreckers come again? Give us half a chance to live the Bentley situation again, and im sure that the North Coast ninety-nine percent will jump at the opportunity
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:06:15 +0000
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