THE Forest belongs to each and every one of us and cannot be sold: that is the unified message from people at a hastily arranged protest rally at Speech House.

A public meeting has been called at Cinderford Miners' Welfare Hall for 7pm on Friday December 10. Cinderford Town Council is inviting Forest MP Mark Harper and Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon to address protesters.

And now the Conservative Forest of Dean District Council leader Peter Amos has declared himself against a sell-off. He urged residents to take part in the consultation process – whenever it begins – "and show the strength of feeling in this unique area".

Coun Amos said: "Personally I believe the Forest should be kept in public ownership, just like the 2,000 other Foresters who have joined Facebook campaigns and signed petitions so far. It's good to see people in our community joining together to get their voices heard."

The Forester has received several reports from protesters who looked in vain for a rally in the bonfire field last Saturday. Geoff Davis, organiser of the Fern Bonfire, said space was allocated for a rally in the field but there was no time to build a podium or hire a PA system so orators could be seen and heard.

The 50 people who discovered the rally in Speech House pavilion marquee heard fiery speeches from rally organiser, freeminer Dave Harvey, two district councillors, and spokespeople from Friends of the Forest and Dean Forest Voice.

Mr Harvey declared: "How can you sell off something that doesn't belong to you? I call on everyone to stop this money-grabbing lunacy."

Dean Forest Voice's Rich Daniels yesterday held a meeting at Speech House to set up an alliance to spearhead the campaign. He told the rally: "Working together is absolutely essential."

Colin Smith, chairman of Friends of the Forest, said: "Mark Harper and others say wait and see what transpires: we say nip it in the bud here and now. We say our woodlands are ours. They no longer belong to the crown. The State owns them – that means you and I."

He added: "Why have a public inquiry after the bill has gone through? Why not have it first? That's why we have to kick up a hell of a din to make sure the public inquiry happens now, rather than later."