AE Yates, the main contractor responsible for building Cuadrilla Resources’ controversial fracking site in Lancashire, finds itself blockaded once again today as part of fortnight of anti-fracking actions organised by group Reclaim the Power.
31st March 2017 | Contact: 07376 530 298 / @reclaimthepower
Protesters arrived at 5.30am and two woman from Lancashire have fixed themselves firmly in place using a reinforced arm tube at the entrance to the company’s depot in Bolton. The local campaigners are blocking all vehicle movements in and out of the depot and plan to remain there all day.
This is the ninth blockade in an unprecedented week of increasing protest against the industry[1]. National climate and social justice group Reclaim The Power[2] have joined local campaigns to prevent fracking in the North of England with a fortnight of actions called Break the Chain[3].
Companies are already starting to pull out because of public opposition to fracking. So far at least four companies have pulled out of their contracts with fracking companies after public pressure and action – Armstrong Aggregates, Moore’s Readymix Concrete, Cemex and CRH Plant Hire[4].
One of the women, Jill Mason, says they are taking this action in order to send a message to all businesses in the fracking supply chain ‘If your company is supporting an industry that causes catastrophic climate change, pollutes air, land and water and overrides local democracy – expect disruption’. [5]
Susan Turbet, another anti-fracking campaigner at the Bolton blockade today, remarks ‘Parish, Borough and County Councils all said no to fracking in Lancashire, this isn’t just about fracking being awful for agriculture, hazardous to health and toxic to tourism, it shines a light on the complete disregard Westminster has for local democracy’. [6]
And Simon Black, a concerned Lancashire resident also at the depot, says ‘Today’s action is just one of many that local people have done here. It’s worth noting though, that today we act in partnership with national organisation Reclaim the Power. Reclaim the Power currently have a fortnight of direct actions planned that target companies all across the U.K who are supplying services and materials to the fracking industry.[7] This week alone has seen successful actions targeting an aggregate supplier, a water company, an energy company and the Lancashire fracking site’. [8]
For on site interviews or further comment please call Rachel Weston on 07518 560 519.
Photos available shortly at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/
NOTES
[1] https://reclaimthepower.org.uk
[2] Reclaim the Power is a UK-based direct action network fighting for social, environmental and economic justice. They have been working to oppose fracking since organising mass action at Balcombe in 2013. Since then, they’ve hosted anti-fracking action camps in Blackpool and Didcot, and taken countless actions against the industry. Read more at: www.reclaimthepower.org.uk
[3]https://reclaimthepower.org
[4]https://reclaimthepower.org
[5] http://frack-off.org.uk/campai