Police make 22 arrests ahead of planned protest at Drax Power Station amid 'robust' climate camp warning
8 August 2024, 10:39 | Updated: 8 August 2024, 10:56
Police have arrested 22 protestors in connection with a planned 'climate camp' at the Drax Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
In a joint operation, North Yorkshire Police and British Transport Police have arrested 22 people in response to a planned climate protest at Drax Power Station near Selby.
The arrests, made with support from West Yorkshire Police, are for alleged public order offences including conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure.
Various items associated with large-scale protests have also been seized by authorities. The 22 individuals remain in police custody at this time.
Read more: 'We will help clean up': Just Stop Oil explains protest pause over civil unrest
"Policing is not anti-protest, we are anti-crime and we are here to protect the public," said Superintendent Ed Haywood-Noble of North Yorkshire Police, who is serving as the Silver Commander for this operation.
"The right to peaceful protest is part of UK democracy, but we also have a duty to ensure that people who work at Drax and members of the local community can go about their daily business as usual."
The climate camp was scheduled to take place at the power station between August 8-13. In response, police said they will have a highly visible presence in the area for the duration of the event to minimise any disruption to the community.
"At a time when police resources are stretched nationally, it was essential that we acted both swiftly and robustly to reduce the risk of unlawful activity and disruption over the coming days," Superintendent Haywood-Noble added.
"Any offences, including outbreaks of disorder, will be dealt with firmly."
Yesterday, activists from Just Stop Oil, announced a pause on all actions during a period of "civil unrest" which has continued to sweep the UK.
In a statement, the group said that "without the elimination of the underlying causes of this unrest, the violent disruption we are seeing on the streets is likely to continue".
It comes as five Just Stop Oil activists were jailed for their role in disruption that saw eco-protesters halt traffic on the M25.
Noting "violence on our streets is endangering communities", the climate group added it was "deeply disturbed" by the violence seen across swathes of the UK.
Just Stop Oil protesters ‘arrested and removed’ after blocking Gatwick Airport
There was "no disruption" to rail services to and from the power station site, BTP said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Drax Group said its operations at the power station had not been affected by the protesters.
"We thank North Yorkshire Police for their swift action this morning to protect our colleagues and the wider community," they added.
“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully. However, this climate protest is completely misguided."
“Drax has been at the forefront of efforts to help the UK to decarbonise at a faster rate than any other country, and is the country’s biggest renewable power generator by output, keeping the lights on for four million homes and businesses across the UK."
- This is a breaking news story - please refresh the page for the latest information
