Lancashire residents join Just Stop Oil protest outside Parliament
Dozens of Lancashire residents joined the Just Stop Oil protest outside Parliament, blocking the road and demanding the UK government stops approving oil and gas developments.
Environmental campaigners Just Stop Oil has announced Lancashire residents took part in the group’s ‘comeback’ protest outside Parliament.
The group - famous for their protests which closed the M25 - say “several” Lancastrians were among the 80 supporters who blocked the road outside the House of Commons.
The direct action group attempted to block Andy Burnham’s first Prime Minister’s Questions to demand the UK government stops approving any future oil and gas developments.
They also want Mr Burnham to sign a fossil fuel treaty to stop oil and gas extraction.
Dozens of protesters were arrested for blocking the road and several supporters from Lancashire had glued themselves to the road.
Twenty six-year-old Sam Burgess, a student from Lancaster, was one of the protesters on the road today.
She said: “More oil is death sentence. The unprecedented heatwaves killed over 35,000 extra people in Europe this summer.
“I’m not going to sit by and wait for this figure to include someone I love. The Government must start protecting its citizens and Just Stop Oil.”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today: “We are all Just Stop Oil. Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe - but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank.
“Everyone of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand.
“”We need to end all fossil fuels completely to have any hope of heading off the horror that our heating world will bring. With fascist and authoritarian forces on the rise everywhere, our democracy is under threat.”