31 CHARGED OVER 60-HR OIL PROTEST
Climate activists blockade terminal
MORE than 30 people have been arrested and charged after climate activists blockaded an oil terminal for around 60 hours.
Just Stop Oil carried out the action at the Nustar Clydebank facility in West Dunbartonshire in support of their demand that the Government ends new oil and gas projects in the UK.
The protest began at about 4am on Tuesday when activists climbed on top of tankers and locked on to the entrance, while others entered the oil terminal, where some sat on pipes and some on the silos to halt operations.
Just Stop Oil said the protesters were there for about 60 hours before the action ended on Thursday, which the group believes is the longest occupation of an oil terminal in the UK.
Police Scotland said 31 people were arrested and charged in connection with a number of offences.
Fifteen have been charged with breach of the peace and 16 with a contravention of a section of the
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which relates to trespass, and alleged malicious mischief.
Police said reports will be sent to the procurator fiscal in due course.
It was the first action of its kind in Scotland since the Just Stop Oil coalition began blockading fuel terminals south of the border on April 1, leading to more than 1000 arrests.
A UK Government spokesman said: “We will not bend to the will of activists who naively want to extinguish North Sea oil and gas production.
“Doing so would put energy security and British jobs at risk, and simply increases foreign imports, whilst not reducing demand.”