National Climate Rally, near Cuadrilla site at Preston New Road, 20 October 2018. Photo: Refracktion
A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 shouted “Cuadrilla go home” at a climate rally outside the company’s fracking site near Blackpool today.
Anti-fracking and climate change action groups, trades unions and political parties from across the UK took part in a march from Maple Farm along Preston New Road to the site entrance.
They were joined by the three climate protesters who were freed from prison on Wednesday (17 October 2018) by the appeal court.
Richard Roberts, Rich Loizou and Simon Roscoe Blevins, had been imprisoned last month after being found guilty of causing a public nuisance when they climbing onto lorries delivering to Cuadrilla’s site.
Richard Roberts at National Climate Rally, near Cuadrilla site at Preston New Road, 20 October 2018. Photo: Rutuply
Piano restorer, Richard Roberts, called for a war-time effort to scale up renewables and insulation. He said:
“We want Britain to be not just frack-free but gas free. It is totally possible.”
He encouraged opponents of fracking to shut down Cuadrilla’s site, where fracking began on Monday (15 October 2018). He told the crowd:
“You are taking direct action and you are shutting down a fracking site right now. That’s how easy it is.”
Rich Loizou at National Climate Rally, at Cuadrilla site, Preston New Road, 20 October 2018. Photo: Rutuply
Teacher, Rich Loizou, thanked people for supporting him and fellow protesters when they took part in their action in July 2017. He said:
“I got up on that lorry with no food, no water and no idea frankly.”
He said people had offered blankets, hot food and drinks, enabling him to carry on with his action. He called for support for local protesters across the country.
Simon Roscoe Blevins
Simon Roscoe Blevins thanked Lancashire for showing the country how to fight fracking.
The former climate diplomat, John Ashton, said the three freed men “deserved a medal, not a criminal record”:
“I never thought my country would take its finest young people and make political prisoners of them because that’s what you were for three weeks.
John Ashton. Photo: Rutuply
Mr Ashton said the government and oil and gas industry had thought campaigners would become tired, scared and would go home. He said:
“I bet they thought they’d won. We’ve got news for them. We’re not going any where today, tomorrow or as long as Cuadrilla are in that field.”
He said:
“You cannot fix the climate and frack for shale gas at the same and you have to choose. The people of Lancashire have already chosen to fix the climate.”
Tim Farron. Photo: Rutuply
The former Lib Dem leader, Tim Farron, said he had chosen to come to the rally, rather than the march in London for a people’s vote on leaving the EU. He said:
“Leaving the EU is nothing to the existential threat to humanity of climate change
“The most important reason to oppose fracking at this site is that fossil fuels must stay in the ground.”
Amelia Womack. Photo: Rutuply
The deputy head of the Green Party, Amelia Womack, said:
“It’s rank hypocrisy that politicians who supported the suffragettes are currently criminalising peaceful protest.
From the draconian use of injunctions to the wrongful imprisonment of three anti-fracking activists, a sustained attack on the right to protest is making it harder and harder for people to stand up for what is right.”
Estelle Dehon. Photo: Tina Rothery
Lawyer Estelle Dehon, who has represented campaigners opposed to fracking in legal challenges, said:
“I know there have been deep disappointments and there may be more with the law.
“But I firmly believe that the law realises that climate change is an existential threat. There will come a day when the law says no to fossil fuels.”
Lancashire campaigner, Tina Rothery, said however many people were arrested, fined or imprisoned the opponents of Cuadrilla would not go away:
“Not only will we not go, we will keep on inviting all these lovely friends of ours. Get used to us because we will be here until you go.”
David Kesteven. Photo: Rutuply
David Kesteven, chair of Eckington Against Fracking, said Ineos may have won a public inquiry to secure permission to explore for shale gas at Marsh Lane in Derbyshire.
But he said:
“They are going to have walk through us and they have absolutely no chance.”
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
The people that support fracking have never managed any form of mass assembly. Yet every time those opposed hold a rally they resort to playground arguments about numbers, whether the participants were local or whether those participating travelled by a fossil fuelled vehicle. Shall we stick with the science and deal with the very real issue of climate chang instead? Climate change is global so it is irrelevant whether people are local to PNR. The CCC is critical of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, in short the government is not taking sufficient action to mitigate climate change. The IPCC has stated we have to reduce our use of fossil fuels far more quickly than anticipated a mere 12 years from now is the key date if we are to avoid horrendous worldwide impacts from climate change. Just last week a group of MPs reported the government is not doing enough to green transport, they concluded all transport needs to be carbon zero by 2030 that is ten years sooner than government plans. So the science is clear, absolutely clear and our government is failing to take sufficient action to combat climate change. The changes are coming and those content to sit on the wrong side of science and history are running out of both excuses and time.
Why is it the Government are always to blame?
If everybody chose not to use Gas there would be no demand for it…
If the protesters are serious about their own ethics they should draw up a plan for life which would involve all those who sign up to stop using oil and Gas.
The Green Party must have a sound viable energy plan???
It starts with one person
KatT you go first…
Yeah what a load of baloney, Governments role is to set policy, implement change and encourage participation, until it does this seriously significant change cannot occur.
When the incumbent Government is so intertwined with the O&G industry there is no impetuson them to affect radical change on a national scale. On this basis they should very much be held to account.
Talk to sher they seem to be doing O.K off grid!
Simple all antis please go off grid and encourage more and more until the point arrives where there are no customers for Gas…
It real is that simple, ask sher. Sher says that their energy is free also
What’s stopping you?
I’m confused by your reluctance to ditch fossil fuel…
You truly are an absolute clown Kishney. Your views are either full of child like naivety or you are being deliberately belligerent. I would hazard d a guess at the second.
To bring about change on a national and international scale requires Government intervention, unfortunately whilst fossil fuel dinosaurs like you and your paymasters have the ear of government change will continue to be deliberately delayed. This is done for the purely selfish reason of ensuring yours and your friends pockets are lined and to maintain the stays quo not for global/national good or the well being of others.
The problem isn’t with me or other people making the switch away from fossil fuels, people do what they can, the problem lies with the reluctance of Government, Markets and companies ( including their drones like you) to drive the that change instead of putting up barriers to protect your way of life and livelihood.
The only bit of your post where you are correct is that Sher should be seen as an example to us all and that despite the retarded policies promoted by FF slaves such as your self there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light is not generated by fossil fuel.
I think you’re angry with yourself…
Are all your household lights led?
Probably fall at the first hurdle crem… mine are…
Is your house fully insulated with solar on the roof and an electric car on the drive?
If you are so militant about your cause you would have explained how you the individual crem had got the full FIT that the Government made available to you which was very reasonable for solar.
The Government don’t charge road tax on electric cars or fuel duty on the electric you use and only 5% vat on the car in question. Pretty sure you’ll have a petrol or diesel on your drive.
9% of our energy bills go towards intermittent renewables.
So crem the choice is there to make a difference yourself.
If you feel you can dumb down fossil fuels even though you rely heavily on them and won’t change yourself how do you expect everyone else to take you seriously or follow your lead.
Come on crem you can do so much more than just wash your jam jars out and recycle them…
Don’t blame the Government, blame yourself…
Pure and utter deflection Kishney.
I don’t have to justify myself to you or any one with regard to what I do in terms of carbon reduction or use in terms of fossil fuel or what I think in terms government strategy Kishney because ultimately who are you to question what I do personally do or believe? . But I am fully entitled to question what the elected Government in my country do in terms of its policy or do you seek to deny me the right?
Use your democratic right to vote for your Government of choice just like everybody else.
As for your personal commitment to climate change, because you won’t describe your lifestyle speaks volumes. If the individual won’t commit stop blaming the Government for your own misgivings…
Huge thanks for explaining how parliamentary democracy works in the UK. I didn’t actually realise I could choose who to vote for on the basis of my political beliefs. What a huge relief.
With regard to the rest of your poorly attempted ad-hominem it is interesting that with absolutely non actual information as to my personal commitment to climate change you draw completely unfounded conclusions. That speaks volumes about you Kish.
Furthermore even though you actually have no information to the contrary you make a statement that my right to voice my concerns about our current Government level of commitment to CC is some null and void. Sorry chap I am afraid doesn’t work like that, the U.K. is not quite the totalitarian dictatorship you dream of when reading the neo-con websites that you are so keen on linking too ad nauseum.
LED light bulbs crem?
Come on it starts with one bulb…
You’re worse than sher. At least sher tries by importing plastic panels from China and then telling the World that they have free never ending energy.
It must really grate on you answering these posts with your Gas central heating on…
You do know what an ad hominem is don’t you Kishney?
The subject being people moving away from fossil fuels
You’re argument is the Government is not doing enough to promote this course of action…
My argument is you are not following your own mantra…
What will it take for you to take the required action to fulfill your ambition???
I take it you are familiar with the phrase living in denial or do as I say not what I do…
Why don’t you want to address the actual point Kishney?
You asked why Government get blamed, I gave you my reasoning why. But instead of addressed that you seek to discredit my view not with counter argument but with ad hominem based on pure speculation.
What you fail to comprehend as you do do is that I don’t need to validate my view point with a personal d!ck waving contest about LED lamps (bulbs are for planting), ASHP, GSHP, CHP, PV, Solar thermal, Voltage Optimisation, EVs, Plug in hybrids, diesel, bio diesel, petrol , car sharing, public transport, bicycles, etc etc as non of it is relevant to the discussion Government is failing in its CC responsibilities.
[Edited by moderator]
I explained the Government has given you incentives and options.
If you choose not to use these options that is your personal choice. [Edited by moderator]
What a great day it was yesterday, we met some lovely people who actually care about the future and say so, a vast difference to the recidivists we see here spouting nonsense about numbers, clearly they werent there.
Well folks its Sunday again and on this first frack desecrated Sunday, it just had to be only one song didn’t it?
You guessed it!
This is of course:-
The Beatles: “A Day In The Life”
Very slightly altered, with the greatest apologies to the memory of John Lennon and George Harrison, and to Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, still alive and kicking, who I am sure will understand.
—-
“A Day In The Life”
I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed…
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords….
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on……
Woke up, shook out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Hah Hah hah,
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream
Ahhh ahh ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahhhh
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackpool, Lancashire…
And though the holes were rather small
They had to frack them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to frack the Albert Hall……
I’d love to turn you off……..
—–
And this is another Beatles song that springs to mind, appropriate for those who refuse to see….
The Beatles
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don’t know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don’t know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you
I look at the world and I notice it’s turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
Well…
I don’t know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don’t know how you were inverted
No one alerted you
I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping
I look from the wings at the play you are staging.
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all
As I’m sitting here seeing nothing but raging
Still my guitar gently weeps
—-
Have a great Sunday with family and friends and maybe remember the days when “shake rattle and roll” was just a dance, not the result of a deliberately imposed industrialisation process. And it’ll be “A Hard Days Night”, when “All Things Must Pass”, and then we can “Act Naturally”, and “Come Together” and then when we can be “All Together Now”, because “All You Need Is Love”.
Then “Your Bird Can Sing”, “Any time At All”. “Don’t Ask Me Why”.
Dont tell me “Money (That’s What I Want)” because it “Cant Buy Me Love” and you will have to “Carry That Weight a Long Time”.
In this world you can’t just be a “Day Tripper” to “Dig A Pony”, so “Dont Let Me Down”, don’t you “Dig It”?
I say “Don’t Pass Me By,” I will use solar power to “Drive My Car”, just because of some “Fool On The Hill”, who cares “For No One”, so they can “Get Back” so they can be “Glad All Over,” “Eight Days A Week”.
We know that “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey”
We might as well live in a “Glass Onion”, so when you say “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”, and “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road”!
I say “Hello, Goodbye”, “Help!” Its “Helter Skelter” “Hey Prudence”, “Here Comes The Sun”, its always “Here, There And Everywhere”.
So, “Hey Bulldog”, and “Hey Jude”, we got “The Hippy Hippy Shake”, I say you better go tell “Eleanor Rigby” about “Every Little Thing”, because “I Saw Her Standing There”, “I Should Have Known Better” than to trust you, because “You Never Give Me Your Money”,
So I say “Hey Mr Postman”, “With A Little Help From My Friends” “We Can Work It Out.even on “The Long And Winding Road” and we can forget “The March Of The Meanies”.
Phil C. Nice poem (songs?). Great collection from the Beatle.
But still a disappointing turn out considering many had to be bus in from all over the country and with the great star attraction of the jailed 3 heroines for breaking the public law.
Really…
KatT. Many of the frackers may have a job to do or work on Sat to support their family.
Are you suggesting anti-frackers only work Monday- Friday TW? It seems that Cuadrilla’s henchmen were happy to work Saturday 🙂
Hi KatT – stick with reality. Cuadrilla are executing their fracking program at PNR. IPCC reports are not relevant to this. Cuadrilla are testing two wells, not going into production / development. That requires a whole new round of approvals. And the test results may be negative, poor productivity and or poor economics, particualrly as John Powney is telling us this every other day. All the protesting / gatherings (I see Phil C even made it to PNR) in the world won’t make any difference to the ongoing approved program which has zero impact on the IPCC doom and gloom forecasts.
By the way, do you agree that the IPCC should now be disbanded as they have achieved what they set out to do? We accept there findings and use the redeploy the Scientists to do something useful going forward to help meet the 1.5degC target instead of just alerting us to it?
Please send your ideas how to make transport in the UK carbon zero by 20130 on a post card to the Government. And also tell them how you propose to do this globally at the same time to meet the 1.5degC target…..
“Just last week a group of MPs reported the government is not doing enough to green transport, they concluded all transport needs to be carbon zero by 2030 that is ten years sooner than government plans. So the science is clear,” – a group of MPs, please you don’t seriously believe this do you?
Its big on sensational news but very short on support. There are 65,000,000 living in the UK a couple hundred unemployed and unemployable is hardly representative of the nation
Kisheny, The government is always to blame as they are the government. They are meant to be there to lead for the good of the country but when they are making decisions for the good of businesses and not the whole of the country then yes, the government are to blame.
People use Gas at the moment as there are no major initiatives coming from the government for renewable energy alternatives in home.
The government have cut subsidies on electric cars,
They are expanding Heathrow
Promoting fracking
Freezing fuel duty
They scrapped solar power subsidies and
Have cancelled zero carbon emission homes,,!
Come on then, you give us a reason to use Gas….
You just have…
Tapping on plastic and using electricity generated by burning Gas to send your reply…
The question once again is are you going to turn your back on fossil fuel. It can be easily done by the sounds of your argument…
So do it and take all the other anti fossil fuel people with you.
If you want a start up omission so you can have plastic solar panels shipped from China, we’ll let that one slide…
Might start taking interest if it was min 100k protestors.
Only opposition forces rally, supporters just sit back and watch the progress.
yes; all three of you……
‘supporters just sit back and watch the progress’……………..while investors pace up and down, Preese Hall report grasped tightly in one hand, with a growing realisation that every frack could trigger earthquakes, well bores could clog up with sand, and hyped gas returns are exactly that. Every single frack could shut the industry down. That risk would never go away. Hardly ‘progress’
Wonder what tomorrow will bring?
More fracking and tremors?
Maybe heavy rain and strong winds?
Maybe protests against the filthy frackers?
Certainly more tales of Government and Judicial corruption!
That’s a given in England nowadays!
More rubbish propaganda from local and national media?
That’s also a given! Apparently the Sun newspaper is maintaining it’s readership by offering tokens towards days out at Alton Towers! Most people still prefer Andrex!
Tomorrow will bring another frack at PNR Peter. And the next day another, and so on….
The weather tomorrow (do you not have internet / TV?):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/0/2655459
Protests? Who knows. But one thing is clear, the Cuadrilla site looks a lot tidier than the area where Saturday’s protest took place. What a mess:
[Image removed over possible copyright issues]
Was Ian R Crane at the rally. He normally speaks for the antis in Court?
Ian R Crane has posted his latest work…
@YouTube playlist https://t.co/8lAQBiABqC AV8.1 – Trans-Humanism & the Rise of Inter-dimensional Artificial
Yes, SM, the government make decisions for the good of business. You know, those nasty people who pay most of the tax to fund public services, and employ people who then pay their tax for the same end. But, let’s not support business and you can fill that gap. Very generous of you, but do not expect the majority to help you out with it when they have clearly identified they are NOT against fracking.
First snow of the winter forecast for this week, trouble in the M.East. Russia being further isolated.
Budget next week. £20 Billion to be found for NHS. Wonder where the bill will fall? What would be the extra tax income be for the Government if UK replaced energy imports with home grown energy? No need to do the maths., just look at Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund. That’s the way to fund alternative energy projects, and many other items as well.
People who understand what fracking does only support it if it’s kept away from populated areas.
They also know that we don’t need fracked gas – there’s loads of gas in the world and we’re using less and less of it each year.
Loads of gas in the world???!!!
Trouble is, demand is increasing dramatically. $200 billion required to invest in new plants to export the stuff. So, primary school economics-supply/demand/price. In other words, high demand, price rises whilst supply is tight. Checked some UK domestic gas bills recently? People understand that when supply is tight those without security of their own supply and a weak currency pay a high price.
zzzzzzzzz, thump!; sorry just fell off me chair with that Conny lullaby……………….
Nothing to say as usual sher…
Wasting electricity…
No waste kishy, all free and renewable from the wind; go on, convert, you know you want to…….
Some stats : the energy generated from wind and solar power from the 28 countries of the EU is only sufficient to meet the equivalent of 28% of UK oil and gas consumption.
By the way Sher if it is free and never ending please tell everybody…
We’re waiting…
I already have kishy;plonker!
Why isn’t everybody listening to you sher.
Free energy…
Anybody else living totally free???
85% are listening; where’ave you been? Oh yes, other side of the world facilitating the deadly spawn….gotta love the irony!
I will take my opportunity to use a little philosophy here . Has any thought been given to the environmental effect of wind farms ? I would suggest that they ought to be investigated to see if they do have any affect upon the climate and perhaps have already started to do so. The philosophy is that the jet streams are the result of established pathways taking into account, over the years, surface resistance. Could it not be that if you dump
1000 wind turbines and consistently increase upon that number that you are in fact creating resistance at ground level to the natural progression of the East West flow of air over the UK. In effect causing a high pressure bubble on the windward side of the turbines. Would not the jet stream then seek out the path of less resistance and divert around an area of higher resistance ? If thats South of its normal track that would result in cooler times and if it is North it would result in warmer air over the UK.Might be what caused the hot summer this year !