New protest at price of fuel

Dec 14 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

FUEL protesters are planning a peaceful demonstration outside a Merseyside refinery this weekend in opposition to rising petrol prices.

The demonstration, at the Shell Stanlow refinery at Ellesmere Port, is being staged by pressure group Transaction 2007, which was involved in previous fuel protests in 2000.

The organisation says it works for the UK’s haulage industry and 20m motorists and has arranged protests outside a number of refineries nationwide, saying that current fuel prices are “crippling” the haulage industry, farmers and motorists.

Despite rumours of panic buying across Wirral forecourts, supermarkets Morrisons and Sainsbury’s said there were no unusual queues at their petrol stations last night and Transaction 2007 said it was not planning any blockades at this stage.

Co-ordinator Tom Houghton said: “We don’t know how many people are going to turn up of Saturday but we hope it will be a good turnout. We just want a peaceful demonstration – we don’t want blockades this time, we just want to bring to the attention of the Government that the price of fuel is a total rip-off.

“We want to get into some negotiations, because this issue will only get bigger and bigger if it carries on into the new year.

“It can’t go on as it is. It is crippling the haulage industry, farmers, and motorists.”

More than 2,500 people have registered with Transaction 2007’s website this week.

For the Stanlow demonstration, participants have been told to meet at Chester Services at Junction 14 of the M6 for a briefing by the organiser at 9.30am.

The Road Haulage Association has distanced itself from the work of Transaction 2007 but said in a statement that: “The RHA will always support members who wish to protest legally.”

Last night a spokesperson for Shell Stanlow said: “Shell is monitoring the situation closely.

“We have a contingency plan in place to deal with a range of scenarios which may affect our operations.

“We would like to reassure our customers that we will do our very best to ensure there is no interruption to supply and that our operations are running as normal.”

vickyanderson