Eco mob cause chaos at Essex oil terminal: Police haul away climate activists as they block roads into major depot near the M25
- Environmental activists from Just Stop Oil hold protest near an Essex oil terminal in Grays this morning
- They blockaded road next to M25 as some motorists decided to mount the pavement to get past them
- Ten protesters from group sat on Weston Avenue, which runs alongside the M25 next to Dartford Crossing
- At least 12 Essex Police officers arrived just minutes later and immediately started hauling protesters away
Environmental activists from Just Stop Oil held a protest near an Essex oil terminal this morning as they blockaded a road next to the M25 at Grays – as some motorists decided to mount the pavement to get past them.
Ten protesters from the group sat on Weston Avenue, which runs alongside the M25 next to the Dartford Crossing to Kent. At least 12 Essex Police officers arrived just minutes later and immediately started hauling them away.
Retired vicars Mark Coleman, of Rochdale, and Sue Parfitt, of Bristol, who have been regulars at environmental protests across England in recent years, were among those involved in the demonstrations this morning.
One driver of a Smart car could be seen getting out of his vehicle to talk to the protesters – who also put their bicycles across the road – before mounting the pavement to get past them at the start of the morning rush-hour.
The demonstration comes six weeks ahead of the start of Just Stop Oil’s plans to blockade Parliament for weeks in a war over proposals to expand production of North Sea oil, with those protests set to start on October 1.
Police officers speak to Just Stop Oil protesters as they stage a demonstration on Weston Avenue at Grays in Essex today
Three police officers carry away a Just Stop Oil protester staging a demonstration on Weston Avenue in Grays this morning
Just Stop Oil protesters are removed by police during a demonstration next to the M25 at Grays in Essex this morning
Just Stop Oil protesters stage a demonstration on Weston Avenue next to the M25 at Grays in Essex this morning
Retired vicar Sue Parfitt (left) is among the Just Stop Oil protesters staging a demonstration at Grays in Essex this morning
A motorist mounts the pavement to get past the Just Stop Oil protesters staging a demonstration at Grays in Essex today
Just Stop Oil claims those protests will be more extensive than previous Extinction Rebellion disruption and could result in Britain’s biggest ever campaign of civil disobedience.
The demonstrations are designed to challenge plans by the Government to allow energy giants, such as BP and Shell, to step up exploration and production of oil and gas in the North Sea.
Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups trying to force the Government to end all new licences for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels. It has already held major protests on motorways and at refineries.
Its tactics are similar to those of Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, whose members have caused chaos by gluing themselves to roads and vehicles.
Just Stop Oil protesters stage a demonstration on Weston Avenue next to the M25 at Grays in Essex this morning
Retired vicar Mark Coleman is also among the Just Stop Oil protesters staging a demonstration at Grays in Essex this morning
Just Stop Oil protesters stage a demonstration on Weston Avenue next to the M25 at Grays in Essex this morning
Just Stop Oil protesters stage a demonstration on Weston Avenue next to the M25 at Grays in Essex this morning
A motorist mounts the pavement to get past the Just Stop Oil protesters staging a demonstration at Grays in Essex today
It comes as energy bosses this week called for the £1,700 increase in annual bills to be scrapped – amid warnings that inflation will hit a staggering 18 per cent.
Industry leaders also called for bailouts as they claimed that if the price of beer had risen at the same rate as wholesale gas, a pint would cost £25.
Soaring inflation is being driven by the fact that household energy costs are set to rise from £15billion in a normal year to £75billion, said Octopus Energy.
And bosses have now claimed that the scale of the crisis is so enormous that it requires the sort of emergency response that was seen during the pandemic with a massive bailout for struggling families.
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