Environmental protesters warned they will now be JAILED for demonstrating at Shell petrol stations in Northampton following High Court Injunction

Oil giant wins High Court injunction and says it ‘wants all staff to be safe’ by Northampton branch of Extinction Rebellion has criticised the move
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Environmental protesters demonstrating at petrol stations across Northampton will now be jailed following a High Court injunction.

Oil giants Shell plc won a High Court Injunction on May 5 to stop activists - such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, for example - demonstrating at its petrol stations in England and Wales.

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Since the ruling, Shell has put posters up at its petrol stations across Northampton warning the public of the new order.

The High Court Injunction ruling has been posted at all Shell petrol stations across NorthamptonshireThe High Court Injunction ruling has been posted at all Shell petrol stations across Northamptonshire
The High Court Injunction ruling has been posted at all Shell petrol stations across Northamptonshire

The posters say that anyone in breach of the order will be in “contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized”.

A Shell spokesman said: "We want all of our staff at Shell service stations to be safe."

Extinction Rebellion Northampton

Environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion Northampton (XR) heavily criticised the move.

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An XR Northampton spokesman said: "It's unsurprising that big oil companies such as Shell are abusing the overwhelming influence it has on both Government policy and the media. Seeking injunctions against peaceful activists is just another example of that abuse.

"These companies are making record profits whilst the general public are struggling with a cost of living scandal, and the Government has clearly stated whose side it is on - hint: it’s not the people of Northampton.

"The decisions made by oil companies, its financiers, world Governments and the mass media have an impact on every person and thing living on this planet, not just those who use fuel."

The spokesman added: "In the face of overwhelming opposition from the public during a cost of living scandal, the Government is using unjust and undemocratic laws, as well as injunctions that deliberately bypass representational judicial procedure, to silence any and all opposition."

The order prohibits actions such as:

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- Blocking or impeding access to any pedestrian or vehicular entrance to any part of a Shell petrol station or to a building within the Shell petrol station

- Causing damage to any part of a Shell petrol station or to any equipment or infrastructure - including but not limited to fuel pumps

- Operating or disabling any switch or other device so as to interrupt the supply of fuel