On this day in 2024: 'Hit the Road Drax' sung at London protest
On this day in 2024, the York Press reported that climate protesters had targeted North Yorkshire energy firm Drax at its annual shareholder meeting.
Broadcaster Chris Packham and members of the Axe Drax campaign group gathered outside the meeting at 133 Houndsditch in the City of London on April 25, 2024.
The firm, which runs a power station near Selby in North Yorkshire and burns wood pellets to generate electricity, "has been accused of causing environmental destruction and pollution across its supply chain," in the words of a reporter for this paper.
As the meeting began, chief executive Will Gardiner and chairwoman Andrea Bartone were repeatedly interrupted by protesters who were then carried from the room by security.
The chaotic scene saw people trying to storm the stage and delivering a choir rendition of 'Hit the Road Drax.'
Ahead of the Drax AGM, Mr Packham said: "In a global biodiversity crisis, you cannot justify felling and transporting wood from some of the planet's most precious natural resources."
Krystal Martin, a resident of Gloster, Mississippi, where Drax operates a pellet plant, travelled from the US to the UK for the meeting to confront Mr Gardiner.
Ahead of the meeting, she said: "We are tired of false promises and being ignored.
"People in my town are being harmed and we want the UK government to wake up and pay attention.
'If they give Drax more money, more people will be harmed.
"They must listen to us now before it's too late."
In a statement, a Drax spokesperson said: "AGMs are the cornerstone of shareholder democracy.
"Unfortunately, some activists, who set out to disrupt the event and intimidate attending shareholders and Drax employees, were removed or prevented from attending the meeting.
"Safety and environmental compliance are our top priority.
"Drax is committed to ensuring the biomass we source delivers positive outcomes for the climate, for nature, and for the communities in which we operate.
"Safety and environmental compliance are our top priority."
More information about Drax is available at https://www.drax.com/
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