Saturday, June 30, 2018
Fire Brigade used to break up Fracking protest in North Yorkshire
Fire Brigade used to break up Fracking protest in North Yorkshire
On the 2nd October 2017, North Yorskire Fire Service were called in by Police to remove an environmental protester at the Fracking site at Kirby Misperton.
This prompted a spokesman from the Fire Bridage Union to declare it a nuisance call by the Police
Steve Howley, secretary of the FBU in North Yorkshire, said:
It is extremely disappointing that Police got our service involved and diverted vital resources away. If a genuine call had come in they would not have been able to attend.
 |
| Steve who was arrested while Live streaming from the tower Photo by Sue Gough |
A man who was Livestreaming the protest was removed from a scaffolding tower by the Fire Brigade on Habton Road, Kirby Misperton. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended with an aerial ladder platform, and police officers with specialist training removed him. This viewing platform was all of 7 feet high and located on the verge at the side of the road. After a 2hour operation,the Police subsequently arrested the man who was live streaming and charged him with obstruction of a police officer.
Video footage is here https://www.facebook.com/eddiethornton/v...
The FBU members voted No to Fracking and have also made a strongly worded statement on Climate Change. Police in Lancashire tried to involve the Lancashire Fire brigade to get people down off the towers at the Fracking site at Preson New Road but the Lancashire fire brigade refused.
Steve Howley, secretary of the FBU in North Yorkshire, released a statement:
In terms of the Fire service involvement I am disgusted and disappointed Firefighters have been placed in such a position by the Police and secondly senior fire service managers by their decisions to force Firefighters to attend the site yesterday. We are clear this is not the role of the Fire Service, as we are there to render humanitarian services and save life and property , not provide law and order intervention.
Once I became aware of the situation I raised the issue last night with the Assistant Chief Fire Officer and he assured me he would be speaking with his counterpart within North Yorkshire Police today to suggest that the Fire Service cannot be used in such a way again.
We will await confirmation of this before the North Yorkshire FBU decide if we need to take further measures to prevent our members being unwantedly exposed to such situations again in the future.
He asked people to send email of concerns and question why the service is being allowed to take a clear political stance by becoming involved in what is a lawful peaceful protest via the following link https://www.northyorksfire.gov.uk/co�/complaints-compliments
Climate change is a critical issue for the Fire and Rescue Service in the UK. It is the greatest environmental challange facing humanity at present
https://www.fbu.org.uk/publication/climate-change-key-issues-fire-and-rescue-service
There are very few examples of Fire Brigade being used as a political tool to break up protests. Why this has occured will be under intense scrutiny.
 |
| Police in Fire engine crane |
Undercurrents is an award winning alternative news service producing videos of people taking inspiring actions. http://www.undercurrents.org
