Shell Day 2 - garage closes

So we arrived at the Shell garage at the Priory Island in Nottingham to discover the police were already there!  Last time we did a peaceful Shell Day protest we had 2 PCSO's in a car - this time it was two proper policemen in a riot van!  So we gathered ourselves together and as we were watching the police they were watching us so they came across to talk to us.  After friendly handshakes they were reassured that all we were going to do was to stand on the pavement with our banners and leaflets.

 It started off very quietly - we were depleted in numbers and the traffic was light and no-one was going into the garage but Shell knew we were there and why we were there and that was important.  Then the polar bear turned up and immediately we got much better response from passing motorists - hoots of support and waves.  However one bus stopped at the garage (causing a traffic jam) for the driver to open the bus doors and tell us he hoped all the ice melted.  In case you are interested it was a Premier bus company number 17.  

Traffic began to pick up as well but not many of the drivers going to the garage stopped.  The garage is on a roundabout and many cars drove in quite fast so it was a bit hairy at time walking across to them as they drove in to hand the drivers a leaflet.  One driver drove past me into the garage tnen came back to tell me that I was risking my life doing this and shouldn't be doing so then proceeded to tell me that under current planning regulations this garage would not be built on a roundabout. That's good to know.  He didn't take a leaflet.  

Then one of the staff came out and placed a couple of cones across the entrance.  My first thought was that it would make leafletting easier as it narrowed the entrance  but then she came back with more cones and a sign saying 'closed' and apologising for any inconvenience.  What was going on?

Well, it turned out that the garage had had a massive power cut.  We took advantage of the situation and stood right across tne entrance of the garage, pretending it was down to us that the garage had closed.  It was interesting to note the change in reaction by passing motorists in as much as the reactions became more extreme.  Many of them got much more agressive and abusive while others seemed to think we had done a great job.  

So lunchtime came and we got hungry.  A second riot van turned up.  It had come from another Shell garage in Nottingham and when we didn't turn up there they got bored and came along to join their colleagues.  So we told them we were going and made a point of saying we were going to the pub to have a glass of beer.  We did wonder whether the garage closing was a ruse but we were able to see it from the pub and saw one motorist having an altercation with the police over the fact that the garage was closed and when we eventually went home it was still closed.

Thanks to Mick and Craig who came from Derby group to join us and Martin and Maggie and Anne from Friends of the Earth who came along specially to help.