Skip to main content

Retired couple released from strict fracking bail conditions

Peaceful protesters defeat draconian court rules after demo at Yorkshire drilling site

DRACONIAN bail conditions slapped on two retired anti-fracking activists as part of a crackdown on peaceful protest were dropped yesterday by a magistrate.

Val and John Merger faced court after being arrested at the Crawberry Hill fracking site earlier this month.

They are among residents of nearby market town Beverley who have joined green activists in a campaign to stop exploratory drilling for shale gas at the site.

Mr Mager is a former director of education at East Riding Council while Ms Mager is an artist and retired teacher.

Both were locked up after taking part in a peaceful demonstration at the protest camp that has been established near the drilling rig.

They were arrested after sitting in the road to block a forklift truck being brought onto the site by Rathlin Energy.

The retired couple were hauled before a court yesterday.

But the magistrate threw out bail conditions banning them from an area around the site which meant they could not attend local meetings.

The couple were handed unconditional bail to appear again on July 31.

The judgement will lift the spirits of dozens of activists who have been staging a blockage of the site in Yorkshire for over two weeks.

Their treatment comes after a busker was was arrested for “using abusive language” while singing an anti-fracking protest song in Beverley town square.

Darren Nesbitt was playing guitar and singing songs in the town centre with other protesters when police moved in.

“I was arrested while we were doing an awareness day in Beverley,” he said.

“We were raising awareness of the anti-fracking protection camp up at Crawberry Hill.

“We wanted to go to Beverley to raise some awareness, we had some guitars and some people handing out leaflets and I was arrested.

“I was in a cell for five hours.”

Dozens more have been arrested at a protest camp established at Barton Moss drilling site in Lancashire.

Communities across Britain are mobilising against the exploitation of subterranean energy reserves through hydraulic fracturing — known as fracking — which involves drilling into the earth and injecting high-pressure water and chemicals to shatter minerals such as shale to release natural gas.

Opponents say the process pollutes water supplies and minor earthquakes were recorded following experimental drilling near Blackpool in north-west England.

The government has made clear its determination to support fracking firms and is even proposing legislation that would undermine the rights of land and homeowners who refuse to consent to drilling operations.

Communities affected are being offered thousands of pounds for “community use” if they consent to exploratiory drilling.

Hundreds of potential exploration sites have been identified across Britain and protests are spreading at local level, with residents joining environmental activists to oppose drilling.

 

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 13,288
We need:£ 4,712
3 Days remaining
Donate today