Fracking Protesters Arrested for Gluing Themselves to the Wrong Petrol Pumps
On Monday, four members of an anti-fracking group wound up in jail for using bicycle locks and glue to fasten themselves to gas pumps at a petrol station in Great Lever, England. The group sacrificed themselves in order to protest the hydraulic fracking activities of Total, a French petroleum company.
But, to their embarrassment, the group sacrificed themselves to the wrong petrol station,
which was no longer owned by Total. The petrol station was owned by
Certas Energy, who neglected to take down the signs after buying the
station.
The petrol
station’s manager, Reezwan Patel commented that some protesters were
peaceful, but that those who shackled themselves to the pumps “were
stupid and have cost us a lot of money.” He added that, “We had to close
for six hours, so with the loss of customers and the damage to the
pumps, it could be a couple of thousand pounds we have lost.”
The four
activists were not only ridiculed by Reezwan but also were excoriated by
the local environmental group, the Bolton Green Party. The party
chairman, Alan Johnson exclaimed, "I was very annoyed, and I have to
stress that these people have nothing to do with our protest. We were
there to protest peacefully, and warn people about the dangers of
fracking, and these people have put themselves, and others, in danger
with what they did.”
Throughout
Bolton, a borough of Greater Manchester, anti-fracking groups have been
rallying to protest hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” in the UK.
Fracking is controversial because of the potential risks the process may have on the environment and the water supply.
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