Environmental activists are calling for supporters to join them and bring useful tools to help bed in at a UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) drill site in Horse Hill, which they occupied at 4.30am yesterday.

Update: The camp was cleared out on December 2nd

After 24 (very cold) hours in the woods, which included holding off a bailiff invasion, the occupiers said:

Thank you so much everyone who has supported in any way. Your presence, food, tea, music, humour, sharing and determination all made the difference that has kept us here overnight

Horse Hill, near Gatwick Airport, is a main test-site for UKOG, which has bought up licensing and rights for huge tracts of land with the intention of tapping into a deposit known as the “Gatwick Gusher.” The 300 sq km area has been hyped as holding huge oil reserves, but critics have pointed out that the “tight oil’ deposits will likely require drill methods analogous to fracking, with potentially devastating results.

In a statement, Reclaim The Power said:

There’s a handful of protectors occupying UKOG’s Horse Hill drill site. They’ve been holding firm in almost freezing temperatures for over 24 hours now, some on tripods, some on scaffolding, and some in support outside the gates.

UKOG have a tentacle in nearly every site in the Weald. What happens at Horse Hill affects Wisborough Green, Graffham, Broadford Bridge, Brockham, Leith Hill, Markwells Wood, Lidsey, Balcombe, Storrington, The Isle of Wight etc etc.

Lets show real physical support for each other – that means showing up wherever action is taking place, whenever it takes place, even if it’s just for a short while. Please try and co-ordinate something with people in your groups.

Tarpaulin

Rope

Timber

Nails/screws

Bedding









Reuseable cups





Guitar

Giff Gaff top up vouchers

Getting to the site

The address is Horse Hill Drill Site, Horse Hill, Horley, Surrey, RH6 0HN

The nearest train station is Horley, via Southern or Thameslink

Pics: With permission from Horse Hill Protectors