Monday 6th November 2017.
Another day on the frontline at Kirby Misperton for the Protectors in their fight to prevent contamination of drinking water by Third Energy. Protectors were assaulted, detained under spurious use of the mental health act and arrested on a debatable offence of allegedly obstructing the highway.
The first incident was when Protectors who were peacefully protesting and attempting to slow walk a NLSS security pick up subcontracted by Third Energy, were assaulted by security guards from NLSS on a public highway.
This assault was witnessed by two Police Officers who took no action against the offender apart from tell him to get back into his vehicle. Then the vehicle containing the offender was driven off with three security guards in the back of the pickup with no seats and were unrestrained.
This is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 Regulation 40A Using a vehicle in a dangerous condition etc.
A person is guilty of an offence if he uses causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle or a trailer on a road when –
a. the condition of the motor vehicle or trailer, or of its accessories or equipment or,
b.the purpose for which it is used, or
c. the number of passengers carried by it, or the manner in which they are carried, or
d. the weight, the position or distribution of its load, or the manner in which it is secured, is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person.
As if that wasn’t enough these two incidents which were witnessed by Police Officers were ignored and the offenders were literally waved on their way.
Later that same morning outside the gates of the proposed fracking site at Kirby Misperton Police Officers detained a male Protector under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act for the heinous offence of singing hymns. This involved the inappropriate use of paramedics and an ambulance to convey the detained man to a place of safety at Scarborough Hospital. He was released the same day “having been pronounced sane”. The waste of NHS resources by the Police mirrors that of their inappropriate use of the Fire Service to assist in the removal of a Protector from a wooden tower a few weeks ago close to the gates of the proposed well site. No doubt elsewhere in North Yorkshire a request for paramedics and ambulance was deferred to assist the Police in their intimidation of peaceful protestors and their continued attempts to reduce the numbers of Protectors by any spurious means possible.
Another Protector was arrested for “obstruction of the highway” when he was in fact on the verge. The heavy handedness had to be seen to be believed, the gentleman was peacefully protesting and offered no threat to the Police or Third Energy’s operations yet he was hauled to the ground by several Police Officers and handcuffed purely because he had walked on the grass (mud) verge.
Tommy Sheppard 25/10/17
