of a further witness statement at the Court’s request clarifying the hearsay element of her assertion which I have read and accept.
24. On the evidence before me I find, on the balance of probabilities, that the application for summary judgment and ancillary applications and the supporting evidence and notice of hearing were properly served in accordance with the orders of Master Cook and Master Eastman and the CPR on all of the Defendants.
Substantive evidence 25.
8 27. In his second witness statement David Blackhouse summarised the protest events at Kingsbury terminal on the 1st of April 2022 (which were carried out in conjunction with similar protests at Esso Purfleet, Navigator at Thurrock and Exolum in Grays). He was present at the Site and was an eye-witness. The protesters blocked the access roads which were public and then moved onto private access roads. More than 30 protesters 69 David Blackhouse. Mr. Blackhouse is employed by Valero International Security as European regional security manager. In his earlier statements he evidenced his fears that there were real and imminent threats to the Claimants’ 8 Sites and in his later statements set out the direct action suffered at the Claimants’ sites which fully matched his earlier fears. 26. In his first witness statement he set out evidence from the police and from the Just Stop Oil website evidencing their commitment to action and their plans to participate in protests. The website set out an action plan asking members of the public to sign up to the group’s mailing list so that the group could send out information about their proposed activities and provide training. Intervention was planned from the 22nd of March 2022 if the Government did not back down to the group’s demands. Newspaper reports from anonymous spokespersons for the group threatened activity that would lead to arrests involving blocking oil sites and paralysing the country. A Just Stop Oil spokesperson asserted they would go beyond the activities of Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain through civil resistance, taking inspiration from the old fuel protests 22 years before when lorries blockaded oil refineries and fuel depots. Mr. Blackhouse also summarised various podcasts made by alleged members of the group in which the group asserted it would train up members of the public to cause disruption together with Youth Climate Swarm and Extinction Rebellion to focus on the oil industry in April 2022 with the aim of causing disruption in the oil industry. Mr. Blackhouse also provided evidence of press releases and statements by Extinction Rebellion planning to block major UK oil refineries in April 2022 but refusing to name the actual sites which they would block. They asserted their protests would “continue indefinitely ” until the Government backed down. Insulate Britain’s press releases and podcasts included statements that persons aligned with the group intended to carry out “ extreme protests” matching the protests 22 years before which allegedly brought the country to a “ standstill ”. They stated they needed to cause an “ intolerable level of disruption”. Blocking oil refineries and different actions disrupting oil infrastructure was specifically stated as their objective.
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