The global environmental group Extinction Rebellion launched a protest at the Fawley refinery on Thursday, where they blockaded the entrance and broke in.

Disruption was caused in the surrounding area, with traffic causing delays and bus routes having to take alternative journeys.

The XR South East group posted on Twitter that they had blockaded the entrance to the oil refinery with a pink boat called Beverly Geronimo.

Protestors are demanding that the Government bans all fossil fuel investments.

Their aims against climate change and gossil fuel use are obvious enough, but who exactly are the group?

Who are Extinction Rebellion?

As mentioned previously they are a global environmental group, with the stated aim of using non-violent civil disobedience to compel governments to take action against climate change.

They protest against biodiversity loss and ecological collapse amongst others.

In the UK Extinction Rebellion was set up by by Gail Bradbrook, Simon Bramwell and Roger Hallam, along with 8 other co-founders in May 2018.

They know have many localised groups, such as XR South East, dotted around the country.

On their website it states that they call on "the conscience of humanity to act with the fierce urgency of now" to avoid the worst of climate change.

Why did Extinction Rebellion break into the Fawley Refinery?

The main greivance of the group comes against the owners of the refinery, ExxonMobil.

On their Twitter account the XR group say they are protesting against the Fawley Refinery as it is "the largest in the UK producing 270,000 barrels of crude oil a day and supplying 20% of all UK #FossilFuels".

They also posted: "#ExxonMobil have known about the devastating effects of fossil fuel production on the environment for over 40 years, saying in 1979 that it “will cause dramatic environmental effects” & that the “potential problem is great & urgent”