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Power plant protestors arrested in Grangemouth

In Grangemouth, Scotland, UK, 20 protestors from Action Against Agrofuels stopped access to both the roads leading to Grangemouth docks in a protest against renewable energy company Forth Energy's proposed biomass-fired power station.

Despite Forth Energy's claims that the new plant would use sustainable fuel and generate electricity and heat that is low in CO2, the group believes the plant, which will burn wood, will lead to deforestation and have a negative impact on the environment.

One protestor comments: 'Vast renewable energy subsidies, paid through all our fuel bills, are being offered for big biomass, which causes more climate change, more deforestation and more pollution. We are effectively subsiding ecocide.'

During the demonstrations some protestors chained themselves to scaffolding placed in the road in order to block the port's access. Seven people from the group were eventually arrested – four for causing obstruction at South Shore Road and three for the same offence at the Central Dock Road protest.

'Every effort was made to resolve this peacefully,' explains Supt. Robbie McGregor. 'The protestors were given every opportunity to end their demonstration and having failed to do so were arrested for causing an obstruction. We sough to minimise the impact of the protestors' activity for business in and around Grangemouth, and in particular the port, with a view to restoring normality as soon as possible.'

Speaking about the proposed plant and the action taken against it, Forth Energy's managing director Calum Wilson states: 'Whilst the impact on shipping operations in the port itself was minimised, their actions today disrupted the local community and the livelihoods of members of the haulage industry across Scotland. They sought to bypass the proper planning consultation process and could have compromised safety had their been an emergency at the port.'





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