Keep your beaks out, XR demo is told
A MINING group has hit back at Extinction Rebellion protesters who blockaded their site, calling them “privileged” and “ill-informed”.
Four “human canaries” in wire cages were joined by dozens of other campaigners at the entrance to the Bradley opencast mine outside Dipton, County Durham.
There was a flashpoint between protesters and security staff when one tried to get under a barrier fence but was prevented from getting in, as a guard dog barked noisily beside him.
Extinction Rebellion campaigners chanted: “We are non-violent”, while the man was prevented from getting under the fence.
One of the canaries, who declined to give his name, said: “If things got unsustainable for life underground, the canaries down the mine used to peg it before the miners did. Here we are, trying to stop the coal mine because there’s no need for coal.”
But the Banks mining company said coal was necessary for the steel and cement industries, and said if it was not produced in Britain, more would be brought in from Australia or Russia.
Mark Dowdall, from The Banks Group, said: “XR’s ill-conceived demands will directly exacerbate the problem they are looking to solve.
“Until viable alternatives are in place, five to six million tonnes of coal will still be needed each year in the UK for our steel and cement industries.”
Extinction Rebellion has promised three days of action at the site, heralding 40 days of protest during Lent.