Gastech, the natural gas fair, kicks off amidst non-violent protests from environmentalists

Greenpeace, Scientists rebellion and Extinction rebellion burst into Gastech with a clear message:natural gas is not a solution.

• Gastech, the most important fair in the gas sector, will be held in Milan from 5 to 8 September.
• Greenpeace activists showed up on site first, then those from Scientists Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion.
• Dozens of protesters were stopped by the police.

First the activists of Greenpeace, then those of Scientists rebellion and Extinction rebellion.There was a lot of crowding between 5 and 6 September 2022 Gastech, the reference exhibition for companies in the gas sector, scheduled until Thursday 8th in the pavilions of Milano Fiera.At a time when the energy crisis is full-blown and is at the center of political attention, environmentalists have chosen civil disobedience to convey a strong and clear message:the solution is not the gas, but the energy transition.

The Greenpeace hot air balloon at the inauguration of Gastech

It was she who opened the dance Greenpeace on Monday.As per tradition, the initiative was dramatic.Visitors who arrived for the inauguration were welcomed by a air balloon on which the words “Gas is greenwashing” stood out in large letters.Meanwhile, environmentalists staged a sit-in in front of the fair's entrance and plastered the subway station with signs announcing the tragic consequences of the climate crisis.

The agency Handle announces that, on Monday evening, the police identified 46 protesters (12 Italians and 34 foreigners) and reported them for invasion of land.Four Italians were served with street papers from the Milan police station.The hot air balloon was also deflated and seized.

The civil disobedience of Scientists rebellion and Extinction rebellion

The next day, Tuesday 6 September, it was the turn of Scientists rebellion and Extinction rebellion.The activists chained themselves and glued themselves inside the exhibition spaces, unfurling two banners with the phrases "Fossil energy is death" and "Clean gas is a dirty lie".They accuse Gastech of being an investment showcase for large companies that remain anchored to an energy source that, to all intents and purposes, is fossil and climate-altering.

“We are not enchanted by those who, like the producers themselves and the politicians in their pay, tell us that fossil gas is a bridge fuel, less polluting than coal and petrolium therefore suitable for the ecological transition.Even this very powerful lobby managed to turn on the gas in the taxonomy of green investments of the European Community!”, we read in their statement.

Fair staff were the first to intervene on site, and then called the police.The Digos has already identified five demonstrators.