Catherine Maclean, from Hurstpierpoint in West Sussex, became the first person to be convicted of participating in the recent wave of fuel foreclosures after pleading guilty in Chelmsford court on Saturday, Essex police said. He was charged in connection with the incident at an oil terminal in Thurrock on Wednesday. Assistant Chief of Staff Rachel Nolan said: “Unfortunately, Mrs Maclean’s actions mean she now has a criminal record. “No one – at least my officers – wants to see this happen, but it is a timely reminder that if you come to Essex to commit an offense, even though you may see it as a protest, you will be arrested, you will be charged and that is it. likely to lead to a criminal conviction. “We are not against the protests in any way. “Individuals have a protected right to protest, but these incidents have unfortunately turned into a crime and we have no choice but to act and seek permission from the Crown Prosecution Service to charge people.” Just Stop Oil has been behind organized blockades of fuel terminals in the south east of England and the Midlands since April 1 in a bid to force the government to end its dependence on fossil fuels. Demonstrations in Essex on April 13 focused on the Purfleet oil terminal, the Inter terminal in Grays and the Navigator terminal in Thurrock. The group said it hoped the blockade would “significantly affect the availability of fuel at petrol stations in the southeast”. James Skeet, 34, of Drayton Street, Manchester, and Stephanie Aylett, 27, of High Oaks, St Albans, also appeared next to Maclean during her hearing on Saturday. Both activists have denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating “Similar, baseless allegations concerning Espresso Police have been made more than once. They were remanded in custody and will appear in Chelmsford court again next week. So far, 23 people have been charged in connection with the Thurrock riots since early April, Essex police said, and the force has made 461 arrests. The protests in Essex took place this week as activists rioted during rush hour in west London, climbing an oil tanker and forcing the closure of a major roundabout leading to the launch of the M4. Four activists were stuck on top of an Eddie Stobart fuel tanker at the intersection, which supplies traffic from west London on and off the motorway. On the side of the articulated truck were flags that read: “Just stop the oil.” Initially, cars were able to cross the busy tanker in both lanes, with many drivers hurling protesters. Hours earlier, police raided an anarchist meeting place in east London. The Police Surveillance Network wrote on Twitter that the raid “was trying to crack down on @XRebellionUK [Extinction Rebellion] and @JustStop_Oil “. Additional report from the Press Association news agency.
