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ACRE Statement Post 2009 Etape

In response to all the opinions and assumptions that have been posted on websites and in the press, ACRE – Against Closed Roads Events – has contacted the media making clear that it in no way condones the spreading of tacks on the road, or any other illegal direct action taken against the cyclists or the event called Etape Caledonia.

The statement from the group contains the following:

ACRE – Against Closed Roads Events – in no way condones the spreading of tacks on the road or any other illegal direct action taken against the cyclists or the event called Etape Caledonia. The person currently charged by Tayside Police is not, and has not been, an active supporter of ACRE, nor was he a signatory to ACRE’s 2008 petition against local road closures.

ACRE has not changed its stance since its inception ie ACRE is for cyclists but against closed roads. To suggest that the action of spreading tacks has been ‘promoted’ in any way by ACRE is to ignore the fact that the group has consistently warned against any illegal activity and last year issued comprehensive guidelines on making peaceful protest. There is no covert plan to cause disruption.

Conversely, those who have chosen to protest peacefully and legally have had insults and abuse hurled at them by cyclists – one woman standing alone this year protesting silently with a poster stating “Cyclists YES, Closed Roads NO” (because she was prevented from attending church on the day) was intimidated, insulted and repugnantly sworn at, including four letter expletives.

Further, ACRE as a group has been contemptuously disparaged in the press by elected ‘representatives’ who have claimed a spurious majority public opinion and absurdly conflated protest and dissent with acts of illegal sabotage. To hold opposing views and be listened to and not abused is a right we all have in this democracy but, as listed below, many are being denied that right in Perth & Kinross.

ACRE’s complaints

These are:

a) that Perth & Kinross Council - administration and councillors - carried out a charade “public consultation” process in relation to road closures. Public meetings, chaired by councillors, were totally flawed because, when much anti closed roads opinion became apparent, subsequent meetings were then held for known supporters and promoters of the event to which the dissenting public were not invited or informed - and no minutes of these meetings were kept;

b) that £60,000 has been ‘donated’ by Perth & Kinross Council to the private company that runs Etape Caledonia – there may also be other hidden costs to Perth & Kinross but, because of the clandestine approach to this event by the Council, there is no method of finding them;

c) that the EKOS economic consultant’s report on the financial gain to the region is flawed as many businesses are not contacted for feedback and Perth & Kinross Council still does not have a complete list of businesses within the region with which to compile an accurate report;

d) that the local constituency MSPs and MP have sat on the fence and not represented the protesting interests of a great many local people and businesses, perhaps hoping that this problem of the local council’s own doing would go away;

e) that councillors, MSPs and MP have, repeatedly and without any evidence to support their claim, stated that ACRE is only a ‘tiny minority’ within the community. This is a misrepresentation.

ACRE had 582 petition signatories/supporters – a significant number - yet it is aware that many at that time supported its manifesto and that even more do so today. No petition covers 100% of those who feel aggrieved. Thus, if ACRE with its 582 signatories speaks out for only 1 out of 2 of those who object (an unlikely high rate) then its case is mandated by at least over one thousand objectors. If it has signatures from 1 in 3, or even 1in 4, then its position is endorsed by even greater numbers of the total population of approx 12,000. The word in the straths and glens is that ACRE’s views are endorsed by many more than 582.

f) that elected representatives, both local and national, have a duty of care for the whole of the community. ACRE believes that, in this case, this duty has not been exercised or demonstrated.

Vituperation

ACRE is also appalled at the statements and attitudes on certain website blogs. Two out of many:

• hoping that those who are anti the event find that, when they have cancer, they do not get the care they need – this despite one third of cyclists in the etape this year raising sponsorship for Macmillan Cancer Care;
• that the husband of one blogger, who is against the closed roads but is not an ACRE signatory, has been advised to let his wife, who suffers from a severely debilitating condition, “crawl into a corner and die”.

While ACRE does not believe that all cyclists think alike, and it understands that there is much anger in the cycling world about the recent sabotage, it expects that poisoned statements and hate email like these, along with the misrepresentation of facts, will be found totally unacceptable to cyclists, members of the public and all who raise money for charity as well as the Etape Caledonia Organisers, Macmillan Cancer Care, councillors, MSPs, MPs MEPs and BBC Radio and TV and STV and all newspapers.

Condemnation

ACRE also expects that all those mentioned will speak out as strongly in condemnation of those who perpetrate these matters as they have spoken out against the sabotage and against the innocent-until-proved-guilty gentleman charged by the Police. ACRE asserts also that all should acknowledge that it is misrepresented when labelled as a “tiny minority” of the local populace.

Position Summary

ACRE wishes to see cyclists and all others enjoy the local roads throughout the year. There is nothing incompatible between ACRE’s stance and the current poster campaign demonstrating support for cycling in Highland Perthshire (see right).
An etape does not need to be run on closed roads and should not include racing.

Closed roads are not a requirement for raising sponsorship.

The closed roads on this route stop ALL traffic, resident and tourist, for several hours without any alternative routes over the bulk of the course, therefore comparisons with other events in cities etc are invalid.

‘Closed roads’ is the unique selling point of the private management company seeking to make profit.

Tourism in the Tummel/Rannoch/Glengoulandie/GlenLyon/Strathtay area is very varied and well developed within the limitations of the infrastructure. However, it is now severely adversely affected for one whole weekend. Since the tourist season in this area is relatively short, May to September, this adverse effect is significant – one weekend out of 16.

The effects of the road closures impact adversely upon traffic on the A9, Scotland’s main trunk route from Perth to Inverness, causing delays stretching for several miles.

Churches should not be told to alter the times of services in order to accommodate a private business.

Residents should not be told by the publicity machine for the event to “have a long lie” on the day.

Benefits from a closed road event accrue to certain discrete parts and sectors in the locality but the burdens and losses to all the others impinge repeatedly year on year.