The iconic boat was secretly maneuvered into position outside mine, then deployed at 9:30am, Wednesday, UK time.
All of the company’s lorry traffic immediately ground to halt, effectively shutting down the mining operation, as half a dozen activists locked themselves to the boat – and announced they’re here to stay.

A dozen or more other protestors were present, occupying the site and supporting the blockade from the sidelines.
Extinction Rebellion activist Marcus Bailie, 68, of Caerphilly, who is locked on to the boat, said: “We have today done what the Welsh government, the UK government and the local council have failed to do – shut down the operations of the UK’s largest coal mine which has been operating without a license since September 2022. … It would be crazy if the mine owner or the government instructed the police to move against us just so the mine owners can continue what is an illegal operation.”

Ffos-y-Fran colliery has faced campaigns demanding closure by both locals and climate campaigners for decades. On April 26th, 2022, Merthyr Tydfil Council rejected the application to extend the mine’s permission to operate.
Sitting on top of the boat Liz Pendleton of XR UK said: “The authorities are missing in action. If they won’t step in to stop illegal, planet-wrecking coal mining, we will.”

Mining trucks can still be seen removing coal on a daily basis from Ffos-y-Fran, which opened as the largest open cast coal mine in the UK in 2007.

The tactic that the XR team are using to blockade the mine – called ‘locking on’ – was recently criminalized in England and Wales by the Public Order Act 2023 and is now punishable by up to 51 weeks in prison.