Thread by @paulpowlesland

Outrageously, I have just been fined £200 under the covid regs for daring to do my job as a barrister and to assist activists in the tunnel at the Euston anti-HS2 protest to halt actions by the the National Eviction Team that threatens their safety.

I have been working pro bono with a group of other barristers and solicitors for a number of days to try and find legal routes to challenge the dangerous practises that the eviction teams have been using to evict the tunnel.

It has been difficult getting an accurate picture of what is going on in relation to the tunnel, given that the people who are affected are underground and they cannot know what is happening at the surface.

Visiting the site is therefore important in knowing what is going on and being able to advise a potential client about whether they have grounds to bring an action.

Today I received multiple messages that the safety of the people in the tunnel was threatened by the eviction team causing flooding, cutting off the air supply and moving a large vehicle on top of the tunnel, so I went to the site to try and confirm whether this was true.

Whilst standing at the site, taking pictures & speaking to witnesses, the police started pushing me & threatening to arrest me, though I repeatedly explained I was a barrister who was there for lawful purposes. They then fined me £200 & said I would be arrested if I didn’t leave

It goes without saying that the none of the police were questioning the dozens of security guards standing around to see if they were doing their job. It is very clear that the police are abusing their powers under the covid regs to crack down on civil liberties and protest.

I will be challenging the fine and am confident of proving that I was there for a lawful purpose. However, I was stopped from assisting people whose safety whilst peacefully protesting was threatened.

I sincerely hope that the dangers that those in the tunnel have warned of do not materialise and HS2 and NET halt their operations until they have found a way to continue them safely.