A totally draconian Injunction was granted after a secret hearing on Friday 28th January banning "Persons Unknown" from protesting - at all! The worst parts of it were successfully challenged today in the High Court.
Bucks County Council applied for the catch-all secret Injunction banning 'Persons Unknown' from any form of protest at the site of the road, at a secret hearing on Friday 28th January, without protesters being able to challenge it. It banned any form of protest. There was a Hearing today, Tuesday 1st February, at the High Court in London, and a compromise was reached.
The terms of the Injunction have been changed. I haven't seen the injunction, but I understand it now allows observing and protesting on the footpaths and B4032 road - so the local protests against the road can continue on the B4032. Locals are also very concerned that they are not allowed close enough to get evidence of alleged breaches of the Habitats Directives, as they are felling trees with bat roosts in, without Ecologists on site, or licences from DEFRA.
The way they got the original Injunction was appalling, and shows their attitude to free speech. It was served at the camp at 7pm, so no one could seek legal advice over the weekend (no-one knew the implications of it, so that is why there has been a silence over the last couple of days!). They applied for a secret hearing and a fast track process and were granted that. Anyone wishing to contest the Injunction was given until 4pm on Monday 31st January to seek Legal Advice and file a Defence (7 working hours!).
Direct action is still possible! Today campaigners hung a banner saying "Challenge Car Culture" opposite the Aylesbury HQ of Buckinghamshire County Council. This occurred at the same time as Garrett Emmerson, Head of Transportation, was having meetings with Bedfordshire County Council about the Bypass! See
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/304619.html
The terms of the Injunction have been changed. I haven't seen the injunction, but I understand it now allows observing and protesting on the footpaths and B4032 road - so the local protests against the road can continue on the B4032. Locals are also very concerned that they are not allowed close enough to get evidence of alleged breaches of the Habitats Directives, as they are felling trees with bat roosts in, without Ecologists on site, or licences from DEFRA.
The way they got the original Injunction was appalling, and shows their attitude to free speech. It was served at the camp at 7pm, so no one could seek legal advice over the weekend (no-one knew the implications of it, so that is why there has been a silence over the last couple of days!). They applied for a secret hearing and a fast track process and were granted that. Anyone wishing to contest the Injunction was given until 4pm on Monday 31st January to seek Legal Advice and file a Defence (7 working hours!).
Direct action is still possible! Today campaigners hung a banner saying "Challenge Car Culture" opposite the Aylesbury HQ of Buckinghamshire County Council. This occurred at the same time as Garrett Emmerson, Head of Transportation, was having meetings with Bedfordshire County Council about the Bypass! See
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/304619.html
Comments
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No other word but...
02.02.2005 12:49
Take the fight right back to them - take them to court and screw with them the way they're screwing with you by legally challenging the injunction itself.
You're entitled by law to do this.
Also, if you do this, it will have the added bonus that they'll have a very publicly embarrassing court case to deal with in the press, and as a consequence of this a decision which they'll also have to morally defend in the press.
Seeing as there are quite a few hundred (maybe more) people in opposition to them already, this can be only be good news for you.
Won't be a good look for them, will it..?
Think about it.
Road Wrecker
Injunctions have been around for ages
03.02.2005 14:39
Then they came for the environmentalism protesters but I did nothing because I was not an environmentalist
Then they came for the anti-war protesters, but I did nothing because I was not an anti-war protester
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to do anything.
The situation is going to get worse and worse unless we all stick together and fight these new laws and injunctions. Pretty soon nobody will have any rights in this country. Just look at the proposed new law supposedly to stop the animal rights movement - it will be illegal to cause economic damage to a company, amongst other things. Even boycotts will be illegal, let alone protesting.
Oob