Petrol Stations Forced To Close Due To Protesters

Petrol stations in Britain have been forced to close as a result of ongoing protests against oil terminals.

The Just Stop Oil campaign launched their demonstrations on Friday (1 April), in a bid to urge the government to 'stop planning the destruction of their future' and put an end to 'all new oil and gas'.

Campaigners occupied the busiest oil terminal in south-east England, located in Thurrock, Essex, in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday (6 April), and continued their efforts the following day by breaking into the UK’s largest inland oil terminal in Kingsbury, in Warwickshire.

The demonstrations brought distribution to a halt, and it seems that as a result a number of petrol stations were unable to offer fuel to their customers.

Drivers took to social media to share their experiences with the shortage, with one warning of a shortage at a petrol station in Saffron Walden, Essex, while another described a closure at a petrol station in Portsmouth and a shortage at a petrol station in the nearby village of Hordean.

A third Twitter user said a petrol station in Newmarket, Suffolk had been closed 'most of the time for three days' as a result of the protests.

Demonstrators managed to break in to the terminal in Kingsbury via an unguarded rear gate, after which they deflated the tyres of tankers, climbed on to the trucks and handcuffed themselves to pipes.

Speaking to The Independent, the protesters assured they knew they faced arrest, but felt their actions were 'vital' to 'confront the complacency' towards fossil fuels.

One protester, Paul Sheeky, commented: "People have tried holding banners and going on protests and marches, and nothing has changed – we are still killing the planet.

"And this might not achieve anything beyond some disruption either but no-one else I’ve come across has come up with a better plan so it’s vital we do this stuff."

Sheeky went on to stress he did not 'want' to be protesting at the 'horrible industrial plant', noting it was 'freezing cold' and he was 'going to end up being arrested', but added: "It’s the only way I can see to try and get through to the government and to people, and to confront the complacency around the damage fossil fuels are doing.”

As well as occupying terminals, protesters have set up roadblocks to prevent tankers from passing to other terminals.

More than 100 protesters have been arrested at the Kingsbury terminal, with those arrested ranging in age from 25 to 71.