A group of citizens in northern Jutland have organised an anti-fracking campaign of civil disobedience to stop the French company Total from carrying out trial drilling for shale gas near the town of Frederikshavn.
Aktion Bloker Boretårnet (‘operation stop the drilling rig’) yesterday stopped three lorries carrying equipment to the planned site of the drilling project, according to the group’s Facebook page. The group has told Energiwatch.dk that its members will continue its blockade to physically prevent the rig from being delivered.
Group: blockade necessary
“Sometimes it’s necessary to use civil disobedience if the consequences of not acting is so great,” the group told Energiwatch.dk.
“We cannot allow Total to open up the possibility of extracting shale gas in Denmark. Letters to the editor, environmental impact objections and demonstrations are apparently not enough. If the politicians aren’t willing to take the only acceptable choice and stop all future extraction of fossil fuels, we must use blockades instead to do it.”
Educating the public
Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF) in northern Jutland is also campaigning to stop the first drilling for shale gas in Denmark from taking place. Thomas Krog, the chairman of SF in the region who is a parliamentary candidate for the party, outlined the reasons why to Energiwatch.dk.
“It’s now that we should get both politicians and the general public to understand the problems with shale gas,” he said.
“A drilling rig is on its way to northern Jutland and the French firm Total will soon start trial drilling in our underground. SF distances itself from these trial drillings – among other things because there is too big a risk relating to our drinking water.”