Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil fuel protests enter fourth day as Esso site blocked by bamboo

Protest comes days head of planned ‘mass participation’ demonstration in London

Climate activists have staged a protest at an oil facility in west London on a fourth day of action against the use of fossil fuels.

Around 30 demonstrators returned to the Esso West oil facility near Heathrow Airport at 4am on Monday as part of Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil campaigns to urge the government to stop backing fossil fuels.

In a statement, the group said they were blocking the entrance with two bamboo structures and two large banners that said "Join Us - London 9th April" and "Stop Fossil Fuels Now".

Pictures posted online by XR showed activists gathered outside the entrance of the facility, some of them dressed in hi-vis jackets and hard hats.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the force is aware of the protest and officers are at the scene.

Protesters block entrance to oil facility near Heathrow Airport, west London (Extinction Rebellion)

Since Friday, Extinction Rebellion and a second campaign group, Just Stop Oil, have staged a number of protests at oil terminals and refineries across the UK.

Over the weekend Just Stop Oil blocked oil depots in Grays, Purfleet, Buncefield, Tamworth and central Birmingham.

More than 80 people were arrested in Essex over the weekend, while 14 were held in Staines in Surrey, and six were arrested in Birmingham.

Andrew Smith, from Extinction Rebellion, said: "We're here to say that climate action cannot wait.

“Right now, governments are choosing to exploit the crisis in Ukraine to hand out oil licences and continue the fossil fuel economy that's destroying us.

Activists from Just Stop Oil take part in a blockade at the Kingsbury Oil Terminal in Warwickshire on Sunday (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)

"The reality is, the UK public wants faster action on climate as the energy crisis hits. We know what is happening and what needs to be done - by acting in favour of corporate interest over the will of the people, the government is showing contempt for the people who elected them.

"How long ago did our prime minister say Cop26 was our last chance to save humanity? And now they're sidelining climate policy once again. This is not living in reality."

Monday's protest comes just days after XR warned that it plans to hold a fresh wave of protests next week in London which the group says will be “impossible to ignore”.

Mr Smith said climate activists are planning “mass participation” demonstrations in the capital from 9 April.

XR said it would “be offering non-violent direct action training, where we will encourage people to step up and be empowered to take action with us and speak out against government inaction”.