Charges Against Six Environmental Activists Dismissed Over Lack of Construction at Time of Protest
Six environmental activists who staged a 31-day underground protest against the HS2 high-speed rail project near Euston station in London have walked free from court. The charges of aggravated trespass, related to their occupation of a tunnel, were dropped after a judge ruled that the protest occurred when HS2 was not conducting any construction work on the site.
The six protesters—Daniel Hooper, also known as “Swampy,” Dr. Larch Maxey, Isla Sandford, Lachlan Sandford, Juliett Stevenson-Clarke, and Scott Breen—had spent nearly a month beneath the surface in a tunnel system they had secretly dug. They had carefully prepared by storing enough food and water to sustain themselves throughout the protest.
The charges against Maxey for damaging a mobile phone were also dismissed. The protest, which began in January and lasted into February, was intended to stop or delay the development of HS2, which activists argue will cause environmental damage.
The court ruled that since no construction activity was underway at the time, the protesters were not disrupting any actual work. The HS2 spokesperson expressed their disappointment over the ruling, noting the protest caused approximately £3.5 million in disruption costs.
Despite the setback, the protest remains one of the longest in the UK’s history, though it fell short of the 40-day record set by a similar protest in Essex in 2000.
