A climate camp which was meant to last six days has been significantly scaled back after a police operation took it apart.
North Yorkshire Police made a preemptive strike against the Reclaim The Power environmental protest at Drax Power Station overnight and this morning.
They made 22 arrests, seized items and have now imposed Section 11 powers across the Selby district.
The Section 11 notice gives officers “extra powers to stop and search people that we expect may be involved in illegal activity, without the need to have reasonable grounds”.
Reclaim The Power were planning to protest against Drax as “the world’s biggest tree burner, the UK’s biggest carbon emitter and fueller of environmental racism around the world” until Tuesday (13 August).
But after the police action they issued a statement saying: “Early this morning over 20 of our crew were preemptively arrested in a mass operation.
“This is a clear attempt to scare us, to prevent peaceful protest.
“We are currently working on alternative plans for the weekend and will update you further as soon as we can.
“Due to essential items including tents, toilets and track for wheelchairs being seized the 6-day camp can no longer go ahead.
“We are as frustrated and disappointed as you are, but our energy and rage will not be wasted.”
They told YorkMix: ““Police actions this morning send the clear message that protecting the peace and quiet of Drax — who take £1.7 million a day in subsidies and hand it to shareholders as ‘profit’ — is more important than protecting the lives and livelihoods of people whose taxes pay those very subsidies.
“The police claim they are ‘not against protest but against crime’, but their actions show otherwise.
“In Yorkshire this morning, police prioritised locating and arresting people suspected of organising peaceful protest with tents, toilets and track for wheelchairs over locating and arresting people who are actually organising, far right riots with bricks, knives and other weapons.”
‘High visibility presence’
The section 11 zone will be enforced until 10am tomorrow (Friday).
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “It has been authorised as part of our policing response to ensure that protest activity within the climate camp remains peaceful and within legal obligations.
“We are working with organisers of the pre-planned camp in a bid to facilitate peaceful protest and prevent disruption.”
The Silver Commander for this operation, Superintendent Ed Haywood-Noble, said: “The local community should feel reassured by our high visibility presence and the additional powers that are now in place.
“I would urge anyone who is planning on attending the climate camp to ensure that they uphold the law.
“Using the legal powers at our disposal we will intervene early to make sure that people are safe and feel safe”.