Voluntary Sector: Taking Action ... Frack Off vs Cuadrilla Resources

Protesters: Frack Off
Target: Cuadrilla Resources
Location: Banks, near Southport, and Kensington, London
Date: 2 November

The lowdown

Protesters halted work at Cuadrilla's gas exploration site on Merseyside when they unfurled banners after climbing the rig. In a separate protest, activists set out to disrupt an industry conference at the Copthorne Tara hotel in Kensington. Dressed in fire hazard suits, they shouted chants including: 'Flaming water from our tap, we don't want this fracking crap.'

Why the protest?

The objections focused on 'fracking' - pumping chemicals into the ground to create a hydraulic fracture to release hydrocarbons. The move came as Cuadrilla published an independent report concluding that it was 'highly probable' that its fracking caused two small earthquakes earlier this year.

How did Cuadrilla Resources respond?

A statement on the company's website read: 'Throughout our time working at the Banks site ... over 50 local people and their elected representatives have been shown the site and we would have been delighted to show protesters around rather than them need to carry out this occupation of the drilling rig.'

How did the media cover it?

Many national newspapers covered the protest, including The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, although both led with details of the report. The protests were featured further down the stories.