Crude Awakening Blockades UK's Busiest Oil Refinery for 5 Hours

This is not a rally, a demo or a march but mass direct action aimed to disrupt the flow of oil into London, said the headline on the paper handout given to Crude Awakening protesters when they boarded a train destined for the Coryton oil refinery in Essex. The otherwise secret target was now clear and the atmosphere on the train was buoyant in emotion as three groups of protesters, making up 500 altogether, made final preparations to their war paint and battle clothes. The gloves were off and the UK's busiest refinery was to be blockaded and the distribution of oil halted for the next five hours.

We alighted from the train and now faced a 35-minute walk to the target. Demo leaders raised flags and ordered a quick march to keep the police on their toes. Winding through leafy Stanford-le-Hope roads, a snake of white-clad activists began to tune their protest voices as village onlookers twitched window curtains and stopped in their tracks to wonder who had decended on their town. We reach a junction and the groups split to follow two different routes to the refinery. I followed a group known as the building bloc whose responsibility was to blockade the refineries main entrance.

With organization to rival even the best army, we turned onto a field, where waiting for us were the necessary items to build blockades. A cross-country trek now ensued as we maintained course for destination Coryton. Refinery chimney stacks loomed on the horizon and all that stood in our way was a ditch or two, a gate and the first police line. Holding strong, the activists moved through the police barrier with ease and then it was a 100 metre straight line to the refineries main entrance. Successfully taking the second and last line of defence put up by Essex Police, 8-foot bamboo tripods were erected in succession across the road, quickly flanked by lines of activists locking on to each other so as to form an interlinked human barrier to all access routes in or out of the refinery.

Oils time is up, or at least it was for the next five hours as Crude Awakening activists held police back and turned the spotlight on the issue of oil and the damage its consumption is inflicting on mother earth and her people. The Crude Awakening movement wants people to reclaim the power over their lives and respective futures.

The day went by with good humour and without serious incidents. Crude Awakening was an overwhelming success that confronted important fossil fuel issues with organized and effective direct action. It’s power to the people and time to reclaim your voice.