Festival of Renewable Energy

We held our third protest outside Barclays on Humberstone Gate on Saturday 6th May to express our opposition to the bank's investment in dirty energy. We celebrated clean, renewable energy and called on the bank to move their money and invest in a sustainable future.  

Members of Leicester Friends of the Earth and Leicestershire Against Onshore Drilling organised the ‘Festival of Renewable Energy’ to show Barclays where they should invest their customers’ money and tell them to stop funding shale gas extraction in Yorkshire. Barclays own 97% of Third Energy, the company that is planning to frack in Kirby Misperton, where the community are strongly opposed to having dirty energy extraction on their doorstep.

The festival began with an unannounced flash mob inside the bank. Red Leicester Choir walked into the bank quietly and then suddenly began singing a version of ‘Bella Ciao’, calling for action on climate change. At the end of the song, campaigners unfurled a giant banner that read ‘Toxic Bank’. The flash mob was streamed live on Leicester Friends of the Earth’s Facebook page and the video has since been shared widely on social media. Red Leicester Choir then sang several other songs about fracking and climate change outside the bank.

During the day, we talked to Barclays customers, to ask them if they realise that their money is invested in dirty energy, and asked passers-by to sign a petition calling for a moratorium on fracking. Children were invited to make a paper windmill and everyone was able to dress up in the anti-fracking selfie kit and take photos to spread awareness on social media. During the afternoon, a giant model wind turbine was constructed, to show Barclays where they should invest their money.

Renewable energy is growing around the world, particularly wind and solar. In many countries, solar is now cheaper than fossil fuels and prices are predicted to keep falling. A 100% clean energy future is possible and it should be our goal.

Here in the UK, we have colossal renewable energy resources from wind, wave and sun. We are already the world leader in offshore wind power and there is huge potential for growth. There are half a million solar installations on UK rooftops, which is creating jobs and boosting the economy.

We ask Barclays to invest their customers’ money in a clean, sustainable future

March Against Racism

On Saturday 18th March, members of Leicester Friends of the Earth went to London to take part in the March Against Racism. An estimated 30,000 people joined the march to protest against the wave of populism that led to Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. We joined the Climate Bloc, which highlighted how climate change is affecting those who have contributed least to the problem. We are now planning a local event as part of Refugee Week in June, to raise awareness of the way that climate change is forcing people to leave their homes.

Springtime Frack Free Festival

Barclay's are still funding fracking and we are still not happy about it. We held another festival outside Barclay's Bank on Humberstone Gate to protest against fracking in Yorkshire and stand in solidarity with the people of Ryedale. We collected signatures on a petition for a moratorium on fracking, we gave out lots of information, we sang, we made a collage of flowers to give to Kirby Misperton Protection Camp to stand in solidarity with them.  We also ate lots of cake and cookies. It was a good afternoon, very productive – raising awareness of what the fracking industry are trying to do around the country.

Preston New Road Protest

A group of LAOD supporters arrived in Leicester at 8.00am to get on the coach to Lancashire on a cold February morning.  We travelled to Preston New Road to march peacefully in solidarity with the people of Lancashire as a sign of support to them and a way of showing Cuadrilla our opposition to fracking in Lancashire.  It was a lovely supportive group and we had a very proactive/productive day.

The people from Preston were very welcoming with tea and cake. There were fantastic speeches and a long walk down Preston New Road to the fracking site accompanied by masses of police. We threw red roses over the fence onto the working site in memory of the beautiful field it once was, with cows grazing peacefully in it. 

A big highlight was the singing – we sang all the way down PNR to the site and standing in front of a line of police and security guards sang songs of peace – ‘We are a gentle, angry people and we are singing, singing for our lives. We are an anti-fracking people and we are singing, singing for our lives…’  We were very lucky to have members of Red Leicester Choir with us – it was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes and to a few other people's as well. The songs are still reverberating in my head.  An amazing day!  Highlights of my day were the number of people driving past honking their horns as a sign of support to the rally - it was constant all day - even after people had been in long queues of traffic, they honked down the entire road and waved and shouted out of windows.  

Report by Melanie Wakley, Leicester Friends of the Earth anti-fracking co-ordinator

Anti-nuclear Flash Mob

On Saturday 18th February, we joined Leicester CND in a flash mob to protest against nuclear weapons. A member of Leicester CND had made three banners that read 'Leicester against nuclear weapons because they cost the earth'. We unfurled these and stood silently, wearing black, to mark our objection. Other members of the group gave out leaflets and talked to passersby about why we are against nuclear weapons. Several people stopped to remark that they were glad to see our protest and we even received a spontaneous round of applause! It seems the general public have understood that nuclear weapons are pointless and dangerous, even if our government has not yet got the message.

Don't frack Robin Hood

A group of anti-fracking supporters from Leicester drove to Sherwood Forest in Nottingham on Saturday 7th January 2017, to join a public gathering in the forest.  Frack Free Notts and Friends of the Earth had been shocked out of their Christmas lunches, to learn from their latest investigation into fracking that chemicals giant INEOS wants to carry out seismic surveys in Sherwood Forest - the first step towards fracking in an ancient woodland.  Hundreds of people arrived in the forest at very short notice (including us) to show solidarity with Nottinghamshire. The people walked from the visitor centre to the Major Oak tree then listened to speeches and sang songs of support – showing in no uncertain terms that we would all stand together to stop such an atrocity!  The people said NO!!