Six environmental activists who occupied a tunnel near Euston station in protest against HS2 rail project last year face retrial after their acquittal was overturned in high court.
Fees against protesters in connection with an occupation in London was sacked by the judge in October last year.
Daniel Hooper (ur.also known as Swampy), Dr. Larch Maxey, Isla Sandford, Lachlan Sandford, Juliet Stevenson-Clark and Scott Brin faced accusations of aggravated trespassing in Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in central london for their 31 days underground in January and February last year.
The protesters dug a tunnel 100 feet (30 meters) long. network secretly over Period of months and kept up sufficient food and water for last during an underground protest. During the occupation they spent a lot of their time to dig and fortify up the structure they created.
In October 2021, District Judge Williams dropped the charges. in attitude towards protest on on the grounds that HS2 did not carry out any design work on website at the time of the indictment against protesters.
Nonetheless director of public Prosecutors challenged her decision. The case went to the Supreme Court and on Friday Judges found in service of DPP and ordered a retrial in Highbury Magistrates’ Court. in front of a new judge.
In his decision, the judge found what term “Building HS2” included site clearing in preparation for construction work on start including eviction of protesters and that Williams’ decision was “irrational”.
The decision states: “We accept view what is there remains strong public interest in the court is on its way.”
Underground environmental protest continued for 31 days one of the longest in British protest history, albeit short of in record of 40 day tunnel protest in Essex in 2000.
Hooper said he was disappointed with the decision. “Seems like acquittal of the world court us was overturned because director of public prosecution is not like It. Taking this case to the high court is a waste of time. more public money, just like HS2 project is.”
The court heard that the disruption of HS2 work on the Euston website cost about 3.5 million pounds.
LLC XC2 declined to comment.
