Extinction Rebellion plan 'mass DAILY protests' across the Capital this month

Extinction Rebellion will bring London to a standstill AGAIN: Eco-mob plan ‘mass DAILY protests’ across the Capital this month – as activists today block 10 oil terminals across London, Birmingham and Southampton

Eco-activist group announces that it is beginning new wave of daily mass protests starting next SaturdayFrom April 9 the environmental group will convene and cause havoc in major UK cities – including LondonScores of people are today sitting in the road to block oil tankers from leaving each of seven targeted sitesTwo of ten protests by Just Stop Oil group at Navigator Terminals Thames and Inter Terminals UK in GraysThey are also at Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead and Esso Petroleum in Tyburn, BirminghamFurther protests at Purfleet Fuels Terminal as well as Kingsbury Oil Terminal and BP Oil Depot in TamworthExtinction Rebellion are carrying out other three protests near Heathrow and in Southampton and Fawley

By Mark Duell and Chay Quinn For MailOnline

Published: 02:11 EDT, 1 April 2022 | Updated: 09:16 EDT, 1 April 2022

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Extinction Rebellion will launch a new wave of protests starting next Saturday – including ‘mass participation’ on London streets that will be ‘more disruptive than ever’, the eco activists revealed today.

The campaign group, also known as XR, 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’.

Protests are also planned in Birmingham and Southampton and ‘non-violent direct action training’ will be given. XR 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, and we will be impossible to ignore.

‘We’re expecting huge numbers from the 9th. In London we won’t have pink boats, we won’t have pink tables, we will just have people power. In the tradition of non-violent civil disobedience, we will disrupt business as usual until the Government and big business make change. We need everyone to join us.’

He continued: ‘We’re looking at more mass participation-style events, rather than small kind of scattergun actions which rebellions have previously consisted of. We’re looking at mass participation, which are easy to join. We’re asking the public to step up and join us. We know at the moment that across the country, people are feeling kind of disenfranchised with how they’ve been treated by the Government. The energy crisis is really starting to hit home on people, and people really want us to step up into a space where their voice is heard.

‘We’re offering them the space where they can come and participate and join with us. Every morning we’ll be offering non-violent direct action training, where we will encourage people to step up and be empowered to take action with us and speak out against Government inaction. As a response to that, the actions will feel and look very different to previous rebellions.

‘We want to create the mass space where people can come and join us. The actions at the oil refineries and oil infrastructure at the moment are very, very targeted. The actions happening in London will be mass participation on the streets, and there’ll be an open invite for people to come and take part in those actions.’

It comes as hundreds of eco activists from Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil today blocked ten major oil terminals across England in a mass protest amid demands that the Government stops new oil and gas projects.

The activists said that scores of people were sitting in the road to block oil tankers from leaving each site, while others climbed on top of oil tankers – including over 30 young people at an oil terminal in Grays, Essex.

Seven of the ten protests were carried out by 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.

The further three were organised by Extinction Rebellion demonstrators at the Esso West Terminal near London Heathrow Airport, Hamble Terminals in Southampton and Hythe Terminal in Fawley, Hampshire.

Activists from Just Stop Oil during one of their blockades at the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning

Specialist police teams began to lead away those taking part in the protest in Birmingham shortly before 11am this morning

Police officers detain Just Stop Oil activists during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Police officers detain Just Stop Oil activists during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Police escort activists from Just Stop Oil away from the path of a fuel tanker at the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

Police speak with activists from Just Stop Oil as they block the route of a tanker at the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

Police officers detain a Just Stop Oil activist during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Police at a protest by Just Stop Oil, blockading the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning

A fuel tanker on the move, after police partially clear a blockade by activists from Just Stop Oil in Birmingham today

A police officer walks past Just Stop Oil activists taking part in protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal today

Police officers detain a Just Stop Oil activist during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Brent crude oil hit a multi-year high of $128 in early March – up from lows of $19 seen at the peak of the pandemic

The protests come on the day that households across Britain are seeing the biggest rise in the cost of energy in living memory as average bills on the price cap increase by 54 per cent, or almost £700, to £1,971 a year (far right, in graph above)

Just Stop Oil – which has been responsible for protests at football matches in recent weeks where activists have tied themselves to goalposts – tweeted: ‘Fed up with a government burning your future? Join us on the road.’

On top of fuel prices at the pumps reaching record levels thanks in part to the war in Ukraine – petrol and diesel could become scarce if the group succeeds in stopping tankers leaving to refuel petrol stations across the UK.

And it comes on the day that households across Britain are seeing the biggest rise in the cost of energy in living memory as average bills on the price cap increase by 54 per cent, or almost £700, to just under £2,000 a year.

Specialist police teams began to lead away those taking part in the protests in Birmingham shortly before 11am.

Among those taken away by officers were two people who had climbed onto the roof of a tanker, which was able to drive away from the site after the first six protesters were removed.

Just Stop Oil activists take part in a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal today

The group wants an end to the Government’s ‘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’.

A statement added: ‘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.’

Essex Police said six people had been arrested. A spokesman added: ‘We are currently dealing with three incidents in Thurrock, where a group of people are reportedly blocking the roads. Six people have been arrested so far. It is impacting Navigator Fuel Centre, Esso in Purfleet, and Askew Farm Lane. Drivers are asked to avoid the area.’

West Midlands Police responded to the Birmingham protest, saying that they were ‘working to deal with this as quickly as possible’. The force said delays were expected on Wood Lane, Bromford Lane and Tyburn Road.

Police escort away an activists from Just Stop Oil during their blockade at the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

Police officers detain a Just Stop Oil activist during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Police officers at a protest by Just Stop Oil blockading the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning

Activists from Just Stop Oil block the route of a tanker as they blockade the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

Police officers at a protest by Just Stop Oil blockading the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning

Activists stand ontop of a tanker during a protest by Just Stop Oil, blockading the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

Activists from Just Stop Oil block the route of a tanker as they blockade the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

A police officer detains a Just Stop Oil activist during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Activists from Just Stop Oil block the route of a tanker as they blockade the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal today

A police officer detains a Just Stop Oil activist during a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal this morning

Activists from Just Stop Oil during one of their blockades at the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in a protest outside the Esso Birmingham fuel terminal today

Just Stop Oil activists take part in protest at the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, this morning

Just Stop Oil activists during their blockade of the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, this morning

Just Stop Oil activists take part in protest at the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, this morning

Just Stop Oil activists during one of their blockades at Kingsbury Oil Terminal in Tamworth, Staffordshire, this morning

An Extinction Rebellion activist blocks the entrance to Esso West London Terminal near Heathrow Airport this morning

Police at Esso West London Terminal near London Heathrow Airport as Extinction Rebellion activists demonstrate today

Extinction Rebellion activists hang a sign on a storage tank at Esso West London Terminal near Heathrow Airport today

Police at Esso West London Terminal near London Heathrow Airport as Extinction Rebellion activists demonstrate today

Extinction Rebellion activists hang a sign on a storage tank at Esso West London Terminal near Heathrow Airport today

West Midlands Fire Service crews were also in attendance and said those travelling were asked to ‘avoid the area if possible’, adding that staff were ‘available to support our colleagues at West Midlands Police, if needed’.

Exxon Mobil UK, one of the country’s largest privately owned underground oil pipeline distribution networks, confirmed demonstrations were underway at some of its sites, causing operations to be temporarily suspended.

It said: ‘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 – whose head offices are in Leatherhead, Surrey – said it had temporarily suspended operations at the locations mentioned, but its other terminals at Purfleet in Essex and Avonmouth near Bristol were not affected.

Just Stop Oil activists blockade the Esso Birmingham Fuel Terminal this morning as part of their coordinated protests

Activists from Just Stop Oil close the Inter Terminals UK in Grays, Essex, by boarding fuel haulage vehicles this morning

Extinction Rebellion spokesman Andrew Smith said in an online briefing this morning that the plan for the oil terminal protests is to ‘blockade those sites for as long as possible’. He added that the group has blocked at least one site with a boat, and supporters are also ‘locked on to tripods’.

US oil to help ease prices

The US will release some of its vast oil reserves in a bid to ease pressure on soaring prices.

President Joe Biden laid out plans to deliver a million barrels of crude a day to the market for six months from May. Oil prices tumbled 5 per cent to $108 a barrel on the news.

This could ease pressure on UK motorists, who have seen petrol prices hit record highs.

The White House said the release was ‘unprecedented’. It comes as the West tries to wean itself off Russian oil and gas following the Ukraine invasion.

But this has triggered a rally in prices. The increases are now driving inflation higher and worsening the cost-of-living crisis for households.

Brent crude hit a multi-year high of $128 in early March – up from lows of $19 seen at the peak of the pandemic.

The White House said: ‘The US is the world’s largest oil producer and is a net energy exporter. Despite that, actions of a dictator half a world away can still impact US families.’

Demonstrations are expected across the UK in the coming days over the cost of living crisis. The ‘People’s Assembly’ expects thousands of protesters will take to the streets tomorrow at various locations to highlight those suffering ‘real hardships’ due to the combination of rising fuel and food prices, inflation, and low pay.

On March 8, Extinction Rebellion had warned it planned to block major UK oil refineries in April and said it would ‘flood London’ with people from April 9 amid claims ‘we will create the most roadblocks we ever have’.

The direct action group said it intended to ‘stop the harm at the source’ as part of its campaign to force the Government to stop the fossil fuel economy.

There are six major oil refineries in the UK, supplying about 85 per cent of UK fuel demand, including Petroineos’s Grangemouth in Scotland, the Lindsey refinery on the Humber and Exxon’s Fawley in Hampshire. Only the Fawley site was being targeted by Extinction Rebellion today.

A Just Stop Oil spokesman said: ‘The action comes amid a series of cascading crises, the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and news that climate breakdown is happening much faster than expected.

‘However, while these events should prompt an emergency response to reduce UK dependence on oil and gas, the Government is doubling down on drilling for new oil and gas.

‘Right now ordinary people are being made to pay, while the government wastes £230million a week subsidising the oil industry and energy companies make huge profits. There must be no more increases in fuel or heating costs. Fossil fuel companies and the richest must pay.

‘The cost of living crisis is not going to end, but we can insulate ourselves from higher fuel prices by getting off oil and gas. No new oil, reduce demand and invest in renewables.

‘The Just Stop Oil Coalition is calling on all of those whose futures are being destroyed, who are facing poverty and who are outraged at the prospect of continuing our dependence on fossil fuels to stand up and take action. It’s 2022 and the time to stand by has passed.’

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Extinction Rebellion plan ‘mass DAILY protests’ across the Capital this month

Extinction Rebellion will bring London to a standstill AGAIN: Eco-mob plan ‘mass DAILY protests’ across the Capital this month – as activists today block 10 oil terminals across London, Birmingham and Southampton

US oil to help ease prices

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