Ten major oil plants blocked by eco-protesters as energy price cap rises

Protesters from Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have blocked trucks from leaving petrol stations across the UK in a series of demonstrations as the energy price cap rises today

Activists have blocked the entrance to 10 UK oil terminals, including in London and Birmingham, to prevent the government from ‘burning the future’.

Protesters from Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion said they blocked “key oil” terminals around 4am this morning.

In a series of tweets, Just Stop Oil detailed a number of other locations it will be targeting in Essex and Hertfordshire later in the day.

Police forces have dispatched officers to protests already underway, with people in high-vis jackets sitting in front of trucks trying to leave affected locations while others climbed onto fuel trucks.

Six people have been arrested in Essex so far, police said.

In a statement, Just Stop Oil said: “Earlier today hundreds of supporters of the Just Stop Oil coalition blocked ten critical oil terminals near London, Birmingham and Southampton to demand that the UK Government halt new oil and gas projects in the UK .

“The actions are being carried out by supporters of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.

“Numerous people sat on the streets to prevent oil tankers from leaving each location while others climbed onto oil tankers, including over 30 young people at Navigator Oil Terminal in Thurrock.

“The Just Stop Oil coalition is calling for an end to the government’s genocidal policy to expand UK oil and gas production and is calling on everyone outraged by the prospect of climate collapse and suffering from the cost of living crisis to stand with us.

“Ordinary people can no longer afford oil and gas, it’s time to just stop oil.”

Extinction Rebellion added: “The action comes at a crucial time: the British public is waking up this morning to a 54% rise in energy price caps, which charities say is leaving millions of people unable to pay their bills.

“The government is making the decision to continue its reliance on fossil fuels as wages of war in Ukraine rather than accelerate the transition to a renewable energy-led future.

Just months after the COP26 ‘last chance’, Boris Johnson is now claiming the current crisis calls for a ‘climate change passport’.

“All of this comes despite recent polls showing the UK public now wants climate action amid the energy crisis.

“Extinction Rebellion is here to say: Not in our name.”

Essex Police said: “We are currently dealing with three incidents #thurrockwhere a group of people are said to be blocking the streets.

“Six people have been arrested so far. It concerns the Navigator Fuel Center, Esso in #Purfleetand Askew Farm Lane.”

West Midlands Police warned people near the affected site in Birmingham to expect delays due to the protests.

It tweeted: “We are currently responding to activists at a location in #tyburn.

“We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can. Delays are expected on the following roads this morning: Wood Lane, Bromford Lane and Tyburn Road.”

The West Midlands Fire Service added: “We have crews present at this incident at Tyburn Road, Birmingham to support our colleagues @WMPoliceif needed.

“Due to traffic delays, please avoid and follow the area if possible @wmpolice for all updates.”

Last month, protesters from the group tied themselves to goal posts at Premier League games and stopped play for a few minutes.

The first happened at Goodison Park during the game between Everton and Newcastle when a man was wearing an orange T-shirt that read ‘Just Stop Oil’ and had a zip tie around his neck.

Another man protesting for the same cause tied himself to one of the goal posts in the Emirates during the game between Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Tottenham versus West Ham and Wolves versus Leeds.

Just Stop Oil activists also staged a noisy protest near the red carpet at the Baftas.

Protester Louis McKecknie, 21, from Weymouth said: “I don’t want to do this but our genocidal government leaves me no choice.

“You know that oil is funding Putin’s war and pushing millions of people into energy poverty while energy companies make billions in profits.

“You know allowing more oil and gas production in the UK is suicidal and will accelerate global warming. It means millions are dying from heat stress, losing their homes or struggling to find food.

“This is the future of my generation, I’ll quit when the oil stops.”

Demonstrations over the cost of living crisis are expected across the country in the coming days.

The People’s Assembly said it expects thousands of protesters to take to the streets in locations across Britain on Saturday to highlight those suffering “real hardships” from the combination of soaring fuel and food prices, inflation and low wages.