By Emily Caulkett-
Extinction Rebellion have blocked ten major oil facilities in protest against the energy crisis facing Britain, and vowed to stage many more disruptive protests in the weeks and months ahead.
The group is working alongside supporters of Just Stop Oil in Essex, Hertfordshire and Birmingham, and have vowed to be ”more disruptive than ever”.
The campaign group said it was planning the latest ‘rebellions’ from April 9 which will start at Hyde Park and then spread throughout the capital – saying that they will be ‘impossible to ignore’.
The group said it would conduct protests in Birmingham and Southampton and ‘non-violent direct action training’ will be given. Spokesman Andrew Smith said: ‘From Saturday April 9 we will meet at 10am in Hyde Park every day. We will be easy to find, we will be easy to join, we will be more disruptive than ever, an
As a result of the protests today, a number of major oil terminals were forced to suspend operations on Friday morning as demonstrators blocked access roads – preventing tankers from leaving the facilities. Just Stop Oil claimed to have prevented access to ten “critical” terminals across the country.
Protests were held at Just Stop Oil at Navigator Terminals Thames, Inter Terminals UK and Purfleet Fuels Terminal all in Grays; Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire; Esso Petroleum in Tyburn, Birmingham; and Kingsbury Oil Terminal and BP Oil Depot, both in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Essex Police said they have made six arrests “so far”.
West Midlands Police tweeted: “We are working to deal with this as quickly as possible.”
Just Stop Oil said it blocked “10 critical oil terminals” across the UK.
Activists are sat on roads preventing tankers from leaving the sites.
The group claimed that more than 30 young people climbed on top of tankers at Navigator Oil Terminal, Thurrock.
The force added that delays were expected on Wood Lane, Bromford Lane and Tyburn Road.
Extinction Rebellion supporters joined the protests.
Exxon Mobil UK, one of the country’s largest privately-owned underground oil pipeline distribution networks, confirmed demonstrations were under way at its fuel terminals in Hythe, Birmingham and West London.
The firm said it had temporarily suspended operations at the locations mentioned, but its other terminals at Purfleet and Avonmouth were not affected.
Just Stop Oil said that more than 30 people had climbed on top of tankers at the Navigator Oil Terminal in Thurrock, Essex.
Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “The Just Stop Oil coalition is demanding an end to the Government’s genocidal policy of expanding UK oil and gas production and is calling on all those outraged at 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.
“It’s funding war and killing people in the global South, while destroying the future for young people everywhere.”
Exxon Mobil UK wrote on Twitter: “Small protests are currently underway outside our Hythe, Birmingham and West London fuel terminals.
“While we respect the right to peaceful protest, our priority is the safety of our people, our neighbours, the protestors and our operations.
“We are working with the police to ensure that safety is maintained.”
The firm said it had temporarily suspended operations at the locations mentioned, but its other terminals at Purfleet and Avonmouth were not affected.