Around 200 environmental activists attempted to blockade one of India’s largest oil refineries—Nayara Energy, located in Vadinar in western India. The activists blocked roads leading to the plant and obstructed the port entrance using kayaks and sailboats. Police arrived at the scene around 9:00 a.m. local time; they are monitoring the situation and have removed several individuals who breached the security zone.
The participants are demanding that authorities abandon the oil and gas industry and develop a phase-out plan. They stated, «It is abundantly clear that oil has no future. Fossil fuels lead to death and destruction, and therefore we must exert pressure on morally corrupt oil producers.»
The activists also demanded an end to the use of aging oil tankers for transport. Such vessels are frequently used to transport oil to India and are associated with frequent accidents and oil spills. Rosneft, in particular, often uses such ships to transport oil. «The ‘shadow fleet’ is an environmental threat,» declared one of the protest participants.
