The UK-based anti-fracking activist Paul Mobbs, who has done enormously valuable research on fracking, was arrested under the UK terrorism act on Downing Street on March 5. He was trying to carry out a citizen’s arrest of David Cameron and George Osborne, charging them with misconduct in public office. You can watch an entertaining video that Talk Fracking have produced of the event below, featuring bemused-looking police officers trying to figure out what to do about this courteous but determined and highly articulate protestor.
Paul was subsequently released and the police are now duty bound to investigate the charge he has made. This could have important ramifications for the wider legal case on fossil fuel extraction and climate change.
To get an idea of just how intertwined the UK government is with the fracking companies, take a look at Paul’s ‘frackogram’ at http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/archive/fracktured_accountability/frackogram_2015-A3.pdf. There’s an overview of his research here.
