Leamington and Warwick marchers target Shell garages in protest

The march from the Shell garage in Stratford Road, Warwick, to the Shell garage in Clarendon Avenue, Leam-ington, last Saturday was organised by the the Mid-Warwickshire group of Amnesty International and was part of a national day of action.

Members want to increase public awareness of what they claim are the “devastating pollution and human rights violations” committed by Shell in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, particularly the burning off of gas when the oil is pumped up.

Spokeswoman Jo Hobbs said: “Lots of people honked their horns and gave the thumbs-up to show support.

“Our campaign is not just against Shell, but also the Nigerian government for allowing the gas flares to go on.”

An oil company spokeswoman said: “Shell welcomes a dialogue on the issues that were raised, but does not find that the demonstration contributed to this. Our wish is for coherent action that addresses the root causes of the issues that affect the people of the delta and brings positive change. The problems can only be solved with collaborative solutions.”