Activists Stage Protest In Vienna To Counter European Gas Conference

Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Reverend David Ugolor among other human rights activists around the globe have continued to stage protests in different parts of Vienna, Austria to press home their demands as European Gas Conference begin on Sunday.

Some of the protesters were seen blocking the entrance to a Vienna Airport private terminal as part of efforts to register their grievances before European Gas companies personnel who arrived Vienna for the European Gas Conference.

David Ugolor who arrived Austria since last week Wednesday took part in series of meetings organized by human rights activists around the world to pressure oil companies to succumb to the demands of poor people affected by gas exploitation.

“Time to galvanize global action to stop Fossil Lobbyists to protect our environment and source of livelihood in Niger Delta region”, David Ugolor said while attending the “ Don‘t Gas Africa“ Workshop that took place at the sideline of the People‘s Gas Conference/European Gas Conference in Vienna, Austria last week.

It was gathered that 27th to 29th of March, 2023 the gas industry’s biggest actors are holding a conference in Vienna to decide about the future of European energy supply.

The global human rights activists who said they saw a different future with an ecologically just energy system in the hands of the many decided to hold a counter summit to share and discuss ideas at the Power to the People Conference organized by activist groups and NGOs.

“From March 27-29, the international gas lobby will meet in Vienna at the invitation of OMV.

“Behind closed doors, the future of our energy supply will be decided at the European Gas Conference.

“The last year has shown that while we are suffering from inflation, fossil fuel companies are making hundreds of billions in record profits.

“Instead of putting the money into renewable energy, it is being distributed to rich shareholders and the dependence on an unsocial fossil fuel system is deepening!

“A system that puts corporate interests before the real needs of people”, one of the human rights activists, Oliver Ressler said.

“At the European Gas Conference, all the big European Gas Companies from Shell and OMV to Enagás will come together to discuss with politicians and financial institutions behind closed doors about the future of our energy system.

“So we will do our own Power to the People conference to discuss how we want to organize!

“The Power to the People Conference will be followed by direct mass action against the European Gas Conference.

“Let’s crash this fossil champagne party!”, Fossil Free London, a human rights group taking creative action against fossil fuels corporation and funders said.

Over 40 of the human rights activists after blocking gas lobbyists’ private jets to disturb their convenient arrival in Vienna for the European Gas Conference, a larger numbers of the human rights groups also blocked the entrance of the conference venue with placards of different inscriptions on Monday.

Policemen were seen on a ground preventing the protesters from any breakdown of law and order.