Lock-on protest outside Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road fracking site, 24 July 2018. Photo: from video by Tina Rothery
Six anti-fracking protesters locked themselves together outside Cuadrilla’s Lancashire fracking site this morning in the first challenge to the company’s protest injunction. Cuadrilla has said it is taking legal action against them.
The protesters described the action as “a deliberate attempt to highlight the abuse of the law by Cuadrilla”.
In a statement this afternoon, the company said:
“Cuadrilla can confirm that it plans to take legal action against six individuals who have unlawfully blocked the entrance of the company’s shale gas exploration site at Preston New Road, Lancashire clearly breaching the terms of a High Court Injunction.”
Cuadrila was granted an injunction on 11 July 2018 (DrillOrDrop report) against a range of protest actions outside the site by “persons unknown”. It specifically outlawed trespass, lock-on, slow-walking and lorry surfing protests, tactics that have been used in anti-fracking direct actions across England. It also prohibited “unlawful disruption” of named Cuadrilla suppliers.
The company said the legal action was not designed to prevent peaceful legal protest. But opponents have said the injunction has constrained their right to freedom of speech and what they say is any sort of meaningful protest.
This morning’s protest began at 7am and at the time of writing was still underway.
Cuadrilla said the company continued to respect rights to peaceful and lawful protest but it said::
“The six activists involved in blocking the site entrance are specifically aware of the High Court Injunction and nevertheless continued to proceed with activity that breaches the terms of that Injunction.
Suppliers delivering to and from the site are currently being delayed as a result. Breach of the High Court Injunction is contempt of court.”
A spokesperson for the protesters said:
“We are using our enshrined-in-law human rights to protest, to challenge a polluting industry that holds no social license in our community.
“This industry has gone to extreme and expensive lengths to manipulate the law, via a court injunction, to prevent protest in meaningful forms. We’re here today to challenge that.
“Fracking has no residential support within the UK, with the government pushing it upon communities who have already said no.”
Cuadrilla was granted planning permission for drilling, fracking and testing for shale gas at Preston New Road in 2016 by the then Local Government Secretary, Sajid Javid, on the advice of a planning inspector. This decision overruled the refusal of permission by Lancashire County Council.
The statement from the protesters continued:
“Why should a national government overrule local governments, to force this industry on communities?
“Why has the law been misused for the benefit of wealthy corporations? There has to be a strong line drawn under such abuses of law and democracy: this today, is our line.”
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
Anyone would think Parliament enters into summer recess today!
It looks like early September to me, to allow for number 2 well to be authorised, final preparations, and the hosepipe ban to be lifted. Just in time for Party Conference season.
Well done to the protectors, this will give very bad publicity for Cuadrilla and gain support for the protectors. Think Cuadrilla are shooting themselves in the foot!
Brave and courageous protectors acting on behalf of all of us who oppose fracking. Good on you. One of the Suffragette quotes really applies to you: “We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers.” And time WILL prove you are on the right side.
So, public opinion will be energised when a minority have lost the argument and resort to illegal actions? Good luck with that. The good, sensible, British public hate a bad loser.
We will not be fracked. Thank you protectors. Poll tax no.2. Upholding the law of love: take care of each other, our air, water, soil, health, community, justice of the rights of the poor, it is the poor who suffer the most from climate change. Martin Luther King and Gandhi stood up for the marginalised and were imprisoned. This time it maybe a suspended sentence, or the injunction could be overturned. We will see. Now Cuadrilla are claiming the protests are hurting their business, something they have denied in the past. Publicly, it is a nail in the coffin for them: yes WE will NOT be moved!
“Justice” has for a long time been based upon deterring others from a course of action. You can go back to Roman times and the practice of decimation. Not so sure a sentence will be suspended.
There may be no sentence, but seasure of assets for loss of work due to delay of work.
Thank you Ian for some sensible comment. [edited by moderator]
Martin you shoud be ashamed. I hope a frack pad appears outside your property and lets see how long it takes for you to stop this eyes wide shut stance you seem to revel in.