Lock-on protest outside Horse Hill oil site in Surrey, 10 December 2019. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent
Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion have locked themselves together to block the entrance of the Horse Hill oil site near Gatwick.
In a statement, the organisation said this was part of a day of action highlighting the links between fossil fuels and the climate emergency.
Protest outside Horse Hill oil site in Surrey, 10 December 2019. Photo: Used with the owner’s consent
The Horse Hill site, operated by a subsidiary of UK Oil & Gas plc, received planning permission in September from Surrey County Council to extract oil for 20 years.
Extinction Rebellion said this would add an estimated 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Vehicles unable to deliver to Horse Hill oil site because of protest, 10 December 2019. Photo:: Used with the owner’s consent
Molly, one of the campaigners who is taking part in the protest said:
“We are paying UK Oil & Gas a visit to highlight that recent permissions will make Horse Hill the second largest onshore oil facility in the UK.
“They are not only contributing to climate chaos with 20 years of climate wrecking CO2 and methane emissions, but will also be using extreme extraction methods to produce tight oil from shale rock.
“It’s time everyone realised this is a real emergency and that companies like UKOG have to go.”
The High Court has granted an injunction against protests at the Horse Hill site.
UK Oil & Gas said in a statement this morning:
“We notice that the XR protesters outside our Horse Hill site are wearing helmets, overalls and using drinking vessels which are all made from oil-derived products. How will they cope without oil? How will any of us cope?”
Updated
A specialist police unit has been working to release the protesters from the lock-on device. Photos used with the owners’ consents.
A spokesperson for Surrey Police later said Gillian Fletcher, 57, of Clifton Road, Wokingham, and Steve Lowes, 48, of Goring Road, Staines-upon-Thames, had been charged with wilful obstruction of a highway. They have been released on conditional bail and are next due to appear at South West Surrey Magistrates’ Court in Guildford on 31 December 2019.
Extinction Rebellion also held a protest today at Surrey County Council headquarters in Kingston (see DrillOrDrop report). The council is due to decide in January 2020 on UKOG planning application to drill for oil at Dunsfold.
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
No plans to increase supplies of oil. No plans to increase consumption of oil. The plan is to produce more locally, for local consumption-as recommended by the UN.
If I buy my French Beans from the local farm shop, it might just mean I eat the same amount of French Beans and less are air freighted from Africa. Unfortunate for African farmers, but in the case of oil, I suspect USA etc. can manage with a little less revenue.
Horse Hill-the local “farm shop” for the oil already being consumed.
Mr Collyer presumably doesn’t live locally and hasn’t experienced an earthquake caused by Horse Hill drilling and extraction. It’s frightening and will get worse as more wells are drilled. Lots of lovely money for the Council and to hell with the rate payers and home owners in the area. When he states oil being produced locally, he presumably means nationally – the oil is shipped to refineries somewhere else in the country, by HGV tankers that use diesel fuel and add to the destruction of road surfaces, not to mention carbon emissions from large diesel engines.
Colin-you mean the oil that is taken to Fawley Refinery? And there it is processed, replacing oil that is shipped from halfway round the world. Perhaps you would like to explain the comparison of a short lorry journey to a very long sea tanker journey in respect of carbon emissions?? Then you could do a little explanation as to how you wish to risk another Torrey Canyon and how that impacted upon the environment?
But, of course if there were not those trying to disrupt HH, it may progress more quickly to where a pipeline to Fawley could be justified. Nah, that is out of the question, although Wytch Farm has already proved it is not.
Then you could explain how you know more about earth tremors than a whole group of experts in the subject.
Once you have done that very basic research you may feel a little more able to explain the reality.
Noticed a feature piece on the life of David Bellamy this am., including his reporting reference the Torrey Canyon.
We have really come a long way when todays “environmentalists” LOL, seem to prefer that possibility rather than much more environmentally friendly means of production and transport.
One might think there is some distinct lack of thought behind such posturing, or a different agenda altogether.
I sincerely hope that action is taken against those protesting and disrupting business against the law.
I sincerely admire the protecters blocking the site today , law an ass.
No wonder the protesters gave their permission for the photo shoot they need the publicity, why dont they do something constructive like get a job instead of wasting police time and taxpayers money, unfortunately this country is still heavenly dependent on oil and we are saving carbon miles and money by using our own instead of importing it.
Completely unjustified protests claiming, “They are not only contributing to climate chaos with 20 years of climate wrecking CO2 and methane emissions, but will also be using extreme extraction methods to produce tight oil from shale rock.
“It’s time everyone realised this is a real emergency and that companies like UKOG have to go.”….what un researched load of nonsense In fact blatant propaganda…Uk oil from conventional oil play(no fracking of any description required as the formations have been fractured by mother nature) will have a far less impact on global warming and have a smaller carbon footprint than importing oil from all over the world…the protesters at horses hill complete hypocrites…
“We notice that the XR protesters outside our Horse Hill site are wearing helmets, overalls and using drinking vessels which are all made from oil-derived products. How will they cope without oil? How will any of us cope?”
Ninetails
They are hypocrites one & all as you say!
What a shame that the Drill or drop article does not advocate the upholding of the law of the land which UKOG has had to take special measures to protect the company from so called protesters & pressure groups via an injunction.
At least this will show the need for injunctions when UKOG’s injunction goes on trial next year.
Hopefully a stiff penalty coming for those that have broken the injunction. We have seen how extreme & disruptive the extinction rebellion are.
A padded cell may be helpful.
Do Drill or drop advocate this as peaceful protest?
DrillOrDrop are reporting on what happened, rather than advocating anything.
We haven’t had any reports of violence during these protests.
Paul the question regarding peacefully protest refers to the actions of the protesters & there method of protesting that is obviously not peaceful protest & is not highlighted in your article.
There actions are not peaceful against UKOG who are going about the law abiding business.
The protesters are being disruptive & breaking the injunction.
Paul
Extinction Rebellion is a global environmental movement with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience this can no way be classed as peaceful protest.
I find it ironic that the police need to have a special unit for protester removal as seen at Horse Hill today to uphold the law & paid for by taxpayers when these resources could be far better used deployed in helping real crime & it’s victims.
Well, they have achieved their aim of being locked up, so all is calm. The truck has been to clear away all the rubbish they left in their wake and the environment shows few of the scars created. Until next time.
Oh…so Laws can’t be changed by peaceful protest anymore? When I was born homosexuality was still a criminal offence….would some of you like to go back to that time then? I say subjecting a man’s home to seismic tremors ought to be criminal offence too.
Don’t go to Bridgewater then Nobby. I think they may be busy trying to arrest God!