HS2 Limited are seeking impunity from all protests through a route wide injunction, criminalising anyone who steps on land in possession of HS2. They are seeking an end to lawful protests against HS2 including protest camps, actions against HS2 and monitoring of HS2’s activities – but they are also creating a dangerous and risky situation for anyone who walks, lives and exists around the area owned by HS2.

We are asking you today to join us in opposing this injunction, and stand up for the rights of people and the planet. If you can, please donate to our crowdfunder: https://tinyurl.com/3pzjy7yc.

Hundreds of protests against HS2 – based on entirely legitimate concerns and almost always lawful – have played a huge role in raising awareness and advocating for local people and wildlife.

Many ordinary people have caught HS2 red-handed by carrying out wildlife surveys in places that are set to be destroyed and have shown HS2 up for their wildlife crimes. HS2 are making a sinister attempt to prevent people protesting and monitoring their activities – just as the urgency of the climate crisis is reaching its peak.

Instead of listening to our concerns, HS2 are seeking to criminalise anyone who enters land in their possession – whether you are protesting HS2 or not.

This injunction will threaten anyone who, knowingly or unknowingly, steps foot on HS2 land, stops briefly in any of their gateways, walks along any road that crosses their land, or voices discontent about the project with arrest, imprisonment, seizure of assets and extortionate fines.

If passed, people will find the footpaths around them, the access to their own homes and even their own back gardens to be injuncted – without consultation and without being given the opportunity to oppose it. It is a clear intimidation tactic, attempting to silence anyone who dares to speak out against HS2.

But this plea is about more than just HS2. A worrying trend in which injunctions are being used to silence environmental protestors has emerged.

‘Persons Unknown’ Injunctions have been used against Anti-Fracking campaigners and more recently to imprison Insulate Britain protestors and to deter Just Stop Oil campaigners. The use of injunctions essentially gives large corporations who can afford them the power to buy their own laws and criminalise those who break them. More and more people acting to protect the environment are being criminalised through this civil process.

It is completely outrageous that HS2 are asking for the power to imprison people at their whim. If passed, this would be the largest and widest reaching injunction ever given in the UK and in many ways give HS2 greater powers than the police. Here’s a map to show where the injunction would cover:

You can take action against HS2 and this sinister power grab.

HS2 have made no attempt to notify the ordinary people they wish to criminalise of these court proceedings – including the landowners whose land they wish to injunct, those living in houses owned by HS2, those whose only access to their home is through HS2 land and the tens of thousands of people who pass by everyday. This is a clear attempt by HS2 to avoid scrutiny in the courts and deprive people of the opportunity to have their say.

You Can Help Us By:

Advocating

Using your platforms to raise awareness of HS2 and their attempts to silence protest against them. Share this press release, and our fundraiser.

Defending the case

If you have been affected by HS2, you can work with us and our lawyers to tell the judge why HS2 should not be given this injunction. Get in touch, email your thoughts to Resist-HS2-Bluebell@protonmail.com and join our briefing call on Thursday 14th April at 4pm. All inputs big and small are appreciated.

Fundraising

We have an ongoing fundraiser at https://tinyurl.com/3pzjy7yc to go towards our legal fees, but are also looking for private donations.

Thank you for your support – together we will win.

At a time where our protests rights are being decimated by the PCSC Bill and the war on nature is raging, it is more important than ever that we stand up to the bloated powers of corporations and challenge this injunction.

We cannot allow faceless organisations to destroy the planet whilst intimidating ordinary people from taking action against them.

Through solidarity and support between campaigns, Anti-Fracking defeated INEOS – we can do the same and defeat HS2.

Cooperation is the way we are going to beat this. Our warmest regards,

Bluebell Woods Protection Camp