Activists take to trees and tunnels to resist eviction (From The Argus)
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Activists take to trees and tunnels to resist Bexhill to Hastings road protest eviction
2:40pm Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News
An activist is removed from the protest site
Link road protesters resisted eviction yesterday by hiding in tunnels and up trees.
Bailiffs and specialist climbing teams moved in to remove the final few activists campaigning against the controversial £94 million Bexhill to Hastings road.
Flanked by police officers, they made a move on the activists’ position at first light.
Tunneller Simon ‘Sitting Bull’ William Medhurst, broke his bail conditions to climb one the trees where he remained last night.
Meanwhile, singer Chrissie Hynde’s daughter, Natalie, was said to be at the heart of the action, keeping the bailiffs away from trees at ground level.
A spokesman for the Combe Haven Defenders said: “They didn’t appear to make a great deal of progress so |we are regarding it as a success.
Secured “All those who started in the trees this morning are still in the trees.
“Our understanding is that they will start again in the morning and so we have to be ready.”
In the trees
Bailiffs last night erected a fence around the camp with guards taking it in turn to make sure nobody re-entered the perimeter.
Between ten and 20 activists were secured to the branches with others believed to be down tunnels.
Speaking from the top of a tree, Mr William Medhurst, said: “It was all kicking off.
“There were a large number of bailiffs but we managed to stay out of trouble.
“We can’t let them destroy these beautiful trees. We have to hold on.”
Protesters have been camped at various places on the site of the planned road since the middle of December.
Campaign visit
East Sussex County Council officials last week estimated that the action had put the project back by up to a year, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Protesters received a boost on Sunday when six of the country’s most influential environmental leaders visited the camp to show their support.
The heads of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, The Wildlife Trusts and the Campaign for Better Transport joined senior colleagues from the RSPB and Campaign to Protect Rural England.
However, leader of the council Peter Jones, said their intervention was too late adding that they are a “threat to democracy” and should “shove off”.
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Comments(7)
richbexhill
says...
3:43pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Nice to see the elected leader of ESCC, being quite so eloquent. Perhaps he should start spouting his normal fairy tale of £1bn benefits to the area.
Perhaps he could perhaps "shove off" and spend the £90M on something more beneficial to the area as a whole.
alyn, southwick
says...
4:27pm Tue 29 Jan 13
richbexhill wrote:What about democracy?
However, leader of the council Peter Jones, said their intervention was too late adding that they are a “threat to democracy” and should “shove off”.
Nice to see the elected leader of ESCC, being quite so eloquent. Perhaps he should start spouting his normal fairy tale of £1bn benefits to the area.
Perhaps he could perhaps "shove off" and spend the £90M on something more beneficial to the area as a whole.
This all went through the correct legal channels to be decided and re-decided and then acted on by the properly democratically elected representatives for that area. The majority elected them. But has anyone even voted for any of the protesters to act in their position of protester (never mind the majority of the electorate!
If the majority were happy to vote for the responsible parties to spend £90m then I guess it could be viewed the majority are happy to see this sum as being truly beneficial to the whole area and the majority of people in the area, rather than as decided by what maybe a minority but certainly unelected group.
The council leaders response may seem abrupt but maybe its because he's frustrated at the abruptness of the unelected protesters trying to impose their views on the electors.
saraman
says...
5:46pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Plunge
says...
5:53pm Tue 29 Jan 13
The Reader
says...
8:36pm Tue 29 Jan 13
saraman wrote:Damm straight!
Just cut down the trees with the garbage in situ. They will soon come down.
It's disgusting all these protesters trying to stop miles of English countryside being covered in tarmac.
Just like those civil rights 'protesters' in 1950's America, they should hang them from those bloody trees their trying to protect!
PorkBoat
says...
8:37pm Tue 29 Jan 13
spa301 says...
2:42pm Tue 29 Jan 13