Bonn Square protest inspires fight against Westgate tree felling

From today's Oxford Times, by Giles Sheldrick.

A TEN-strong group of protesters has gathered in Norfolk Street to fight against more tree felling in Oxford.

City council park rangers used chainsaws to cut down an 80-year-old London Plane tree this morning, as work starts to clear the area around Westgate Car Park.

However, campaigners - some of who are already in Bonn Square - have promised to save the remaining trees.

Workmen downed tools at 11.30am after it became clear a protest was likely.

The fact that a student gave her opinion seems to have angered some people.

Posted by: Angry, Cowley on 1:58pm today
Couple of points to Rachel Cook, the first being that her opinions are welcome when she ACTUALLY pays some council tax until then she can keep quiet about what Oxford needs(and lets face it being a student she wont be in Oxford long term), secondly if she really wants to make a stand on this, she should go to Borneo or the amazon rain forest in Brazil where deforestation is a genuine problem andd will effect us all.

If she actually took the time to check, she would realise that Oxford City Council have a very green policy on removing trees and will try and replace one when they have to chop one down.

I wasn't aware council tax was required to make someone a British citizen (sarcasm). Perhaps Angry, Cowley doesn't care what anyone under 18 thinks either.

Posted by: interested observer, city centre on 2:25pm today
I guess these wasters are claiming state handouts of some kind to get them you have to be available for work if you spend weeks up a tree you are not are you this should be cracked down on then see how many wasters we get up trees a water cannon might help

Getting people into trees with a water cannon.

The Westgate Centre, for those who have not been to the centre of Oxford, is one of two shopping centres there. It's rather horrible as far as I'm concerned, being dominated by a massive JJB Sports and Primark.

It's more grotty than the Clarendon Centre, which is saying something.

If you come to Oxford, better shops can be found in the Covered Market and near the bus station (careful there at night though, the station is near quite a few pubs and drinkers often spill out onto the square.