Photo: JustStopOil on Twitter
Environmental activists started multiple protests in the UK. The last couple of weeks has been filled with news about British people doing all sorts of illegal or unlawful things. But things seem to be escalating. Now, the Essex Police Chief BJ Harrington wants to clear things up and has a message for everyone.
There’s a disrupting movement happening in the UK named “JustStopOil.” We’ve told you about it already. They don’t want more investments in fossil fuels and demand that climate change be taken seriously. To attract attention to their cause, the activists recently destroyed petrol pump displays. But now things are escalating.
Three British men quit their jobs and decided to dig a 52-feet (16-meter) tunnel under St. Clement’s Way. Their goal was simple – stop deliveries to an oil terminal. But to make that happen, they had to remain inside the tunnel, essentially putting themselves in potentially fatal danger. To keep them out of harm’s way, authorities decided it would be best if deliveries to the Navigator Oil Terminal were suspended.
To get out and let businesses and locals go on with their day-to-day lives, they asked the Police and the Government for a couple of promises and a statement. Up until now, only the Police obliged – after the three men spent 11 days in the unsecured tunnels. A Government spokesperson said they won’t “bend to the will of activists who (…) want to extinguish North Sea oil and gas production.”
The Essex Police Chief BJ Harrington admitted that climate change is real and it is a concern. “The cause the protesters wish to highlight - climate change and the need to protect our environment for future generations - is one many of us will recognize and understand,” added the high-ranking officer.
Harrington also pointed out that the Police itself is moving away from fossil fuels and is getting an electrified fleet. Also, their buildings are being upgraded to consume less energy.
However, the Essex Police Chief won’t accept what the protesters are currently doing. Harrington even said that the Police will move to arrest the three men that trapped themselves underground as soon as possible to do so in a safe manner. “Let me be clear - the three protesters who remain in that tunnel in Thurrock are behaving in an unacceptable, disruptive and unlawful way. They will be arrested by my officers as soon as we can safely achieve that,” said the Police Chief.
Meanwhile, authorities and companies found other routes to get all the needed fuel inside the city and its neighboring areas.
The full message signed by Essex Police Chief BJ Harrington can be read down below.
Three British men quit their jobs and decided to dig a 52-feet (16-meter) tunnel under St. Clement’s Way. Their goal was simple – stop deliveries to an oil terminal. But to make that happen, they had to remain inside the tunnel, essentially putting themselves in potentially fatal danger. To keep them out of harm’s way, authorities decided it would be best if deliveries to the Navigator Oil Terminal were suspended.
To get out and let businesses and locals go on with their day-to-day lives, they asked the Police and the Government for a couple of promises and a statement. Up until now, only the Police obliged – after the three men spent 11 days in the unsecured tunnels. A Government spokesperson said they won’t “bend to the will of activists who (…) want to extinguish North Sea oil and gas production.”
The Essex Police Chief BJ Harrington admitted that climate change is real and it is a concern. “The cause the protesters wish to highlight - climate change and the need to protect our environment for future generations - is one many of us will recognize and understand,” added the high-ranking officer.
Harrington also pointed out that the Police itself is moving away from fossil fuels and is getting an electrified fleet. Also, their buildings are being upgraded to consume less energy.
However, the Essex Police Chief won’t accept what the protesters are currently doing. Harrington even said that the Police will move to arrest the three men that trapped themselves underground as soon as possible to do so in a safe manner. “Let me be clear - the three protesters who remain in that tunnel in Thurrock are behaving in an unacceptable, disruptive and unlawful way. They will be arrested by my officers as soon as we can safely achieve that,” said the Police Chief.
Meanwhile, authorities and companies found other routes to get all the needed fuel inside the city and its neighboring areas.
The full message signed by Essex Police Chief BJ Harrington can be read down below.
“The climate crisis is caused by a very small minority of people and it's those same people who are currently profiteering from the cost of living crisis. That’s why I’ve spent the last 12 days living in a tunnel under a road leading to the Navigator Oil Terminal in Essex.” pic.twitter.com/xzNUQbDGBk
— Just Stop Oil ?????????? (@JustStop_Oil) September 3, 2022
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