Campaigners preparing for the Take Back Manchester rally. Photo: Frack Free Lancashire

In this week’s update on protests about fracking and the onshore oil and gas industry:

• Anti-fracking campaigners join the Take Back Manchester march;
• Lock-ons and lorry surfing at Kirby Misperton;
• Horn-honk convoy and rally at Preston New Road
• Farmers Against Fracking gathering at Kirby Misperton

Please let us know about news you think DrillorDrop should be reporting for this post.

1 October 2017

Anti-fracking rally at Conservative Party Conference, Manchester

Campaigners against climate change and fracking joined the Take Back Manchester march in protest at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Campaigners preparing for the Take Back Manchester rally. Photo: Frack Free Lancashire

Campaigners at the Take Back Lancashire rally, 1 October 2017. Photo: Elspeth McRoberts

Campaigners at the Take Back Lancashire rally, 1 October 2017. Photo: Elspeth McRoberts

Campaigners at the Take Back Lancashire rally, 1 October 2017. Photo: Elspeth McRoberts

Campaigners at the Take Back Lancashire rally, 1 October 2017. Photo: Elspeth McRoberts

29 September 2017

Horn-honk convoy and rally, Preston New Road, Blackpool

Businessman Brian Morrison after the horn-honk convoy, 29 September 2017. Photo: Maple Indie Media

A Lancashire businessman who had been threatened with arrest for sounding his car horn in support of anti-fracking protesters led a convoy of hooting motorists past Cuadrilla’s shale gas site this morning.

Twenty-eight other cars followed Brian Morrison, honking their horns continuously as they drove past the site at Little Plumpton near Blackpool.

Rally at Preston New Road, near Blackpool, 29 September 2017. Photo: DrillOrDrop

The protest was followed by a rally attended by a group of Quakers, along with fracking opponents from Manchester, Northern Ireland and Lancaster. More details

28 September 2017

First lorry surfer protest at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire

“Lorry surfer” protest blocks the road near Third Energy’s Kirby Misperton fracking site in North Yorkshire, 28 September 2017. Photo: Kirby Misperton Protection Camp

A woman climbed onto a lorry leaving Third Energy’s Kirby Misperton fracking site, closing the road for about five and a half hours. This is the first time this form of protest has been used at oil and gas protests in North Yorkshire. The woman came down from the lorry just after 5.30pm and was arrested. More details

Earlier police moved people away from the gate entrance during a service of hymns and prayers.

27 September 2017

Four person lock-on at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire

Lock-on protest, Kirby Misperton, 27 September 2017. Photo: Eddie Thornton

Four women blocked the entrance to Third Energy’s fracking site in a lock-on protest. They said they wanted to draw attention to the global implications of the fracking industry and the impact of UK government policy on climate change. Police later said four women aged 39, 40, 54 and 66, had been charged with willfully obstructing the highway.

26 September 2017

Farmers Against Fracking meeting at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire

Farmers Against Fracking meeting, Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, 26 September 2017. Photo: Kirby Misperton Protection Camp

About 100 people, including farmers and growers, gathered outside Third Energy’s site at Kirby Misperton in protest at the company’s fracking plans. Sheep farmer, Matthew Trevelyan, said only farmers could stop the fracking industry by deny access to their land. More details

Police said two women, aged 56 and 66, were arrested and charged with obstructing the highway.

Ince Marshes

Woolston and Thelwall Protection Camp in Cheshire reported the camp was served with eviction papers.

25 September 2017

First lock-on at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire

Lock-on protest outside Third Energy’s fracking site, 25 September 2017. Photo: Kirby Misperton Protection Camp

Four women dressed in bat costumes locked themselves to containers of concrete this morning outside Third Energy’s fracking site at Kirby Misperton. They called on the company to stop operations at the site because of the presence of bats. The women were released by a specialist police team at 2.30pm and 6.30pm and charged with obstructing a highway and offences under trades union legislation. More details

Baroness Jones at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Lancashire

Baroness Jones with campaigner Tina Rothery, Maple Farm, Preston New Road, near Blackpool, 25 September 2017.

The Green Party peer, Baroness Jones, took part in the  “Green Monday” meeting outside Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site, near Blackpool.

She said afterwards on her Facebook page:

“The people who are protesting are a mix of locals, initially reluctantly drawn into the fracas but now pivotal organisers, and experienced campaigners who can supply the outside contacts and good advice.”

She added:

“The visit gave me enough information to ask questions of the Home Office, and of Lancashire Police. I could see that the police were tired and stressed, so not only is policing the protest time consuming and very expensive, it’s also bad for the officers themselves.”

Derbyshire protection camp relocates

Campaigners at the camp outside Marriotts Drilling Ltd, at Danesmoor near Clay Cross, said they had relocating to a new site. More details

Archive

Click here for previous Protest update posts