As part of a campaign for the UK’s fossil fuel infrastructure to be paralysed, hundreds of environmental activists have blocked seven oil terminals in the country.
Just Stop Oil supporters began blocking oil refineries in London, Birmingham, and Southampton early Friday morning by climbing on top tankers and gluing to roads.
Shortly after 4am activists blocked terminals in Purfleet (Grays, Essex), which they claimed were the largest in the nation. A group of more then two dozen protestors tried to disrupt the Kingsbury oil terminal near Tamworth. But, police intervention was able to stop them from blocking the road to the site.
Just Stop Oil demanded that the government stop issuing new licenses for UK fossil fuel projects. They are threatening to disrupt the UK’s oil infrastructure until they get their way.
Louis McKecknie (21 years old), from Weymouth, zip-tied himself to a goalpost at Goodison Park in Everton as part of the campaign. He said: I don’t want to do this, but our genocidal governments gives me no choice.
They know that oil is financing Putin’s war, pushing millions into fuel poverty, and energy companies making billions. They know that allowing more oil and gas extraction in the UK will only lead to global warming. It will lead to millions of people dying from heat stress, losing their homes, or fighting for food. This is my future, I will stop when oil runs out.
This action is part of a planned series to protest the UK’s oil infrastructure. Extinction Rebellion will begin its next wave on April 9th. It has stated that it supports the Just Stop Oil campaign, and had mobilized its activists to join.
Just Stop Oil claims its campaign represents a shift from civil disobedience to civil resistance. One supporter explained to the Guardian last month that this means that they are stopping pointing out what government should or shouldn’t be doing. [and instead]Stopping government from doing things they shouldn’t.
The activists met in Tamworth at a nearby McDonald’s before heading to the site. However, they were initially stopped by a police helicopter.
One activist stated that they had seen many police officers in unmarked cars near the site. They feared that if they got in vehicles to complete their journey, they would be stopped and arrested. However, they hoped to find a way around. The group eventually split and most made it to Kingsbury by foot.
One protester stated that it was us against the state. We will lose, but we must try something.