However, the group’s activities are not disrupted because the action had been anticipated. Hundreds of activists have been blocking access to the energy giant’s companies since Saturday morning in order to paralyze its activities. This “massive action of civil disobedience” aims to demand the exit from fossil fuels and to point the finger at the responsibility of industry in the climate and social crisis.
Activists spent the night at the sites and no incidents were reported. The action is expected to wrap up later today.
TotalEnergies indicates that its activities are however not disturbed and that it does not register problems of availability of its products. “The action was announced and we therefore anticipated the services to our customers”, explains a spokesperson for the group. “The demonstration is well supervised by the police, there has been no attempt to intrude into our facilities.”
The group adds to respect the right to demonstrate but recalls that there are safety rules to be respected on its sites, in particular because of the products which circulate there. Faced with the arguments of the activists, he underlines “to bet massively on the energy transition”, with investments of four billion euros this year in the production capacities of renewable energy.
A demonstration in support of the action of the citizens’ coalition Code Rouge will also take place this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Écaussinnes, in the province of Hainaut. About twenty organizations, trade unions and NGOs will form a procession between the station and the Grand-Place.