The High Court ruled on Wednesday that a ban on protests in London by the climate alarmist group Extinction Rebellion was unlawful, which could lead to hundreds of lawsuits from XR members.
The Metropolitan Police arrested 1,832 Extinction Rebellion protesters last month during the so-called “Autumn Uprising” that saw activists occupy the London City Airport, attempt to shut down the London Underground and establish an encampment in Trafalgar Square.
In response to XR’s “shut down” tactics, the police attempted to ban demonstrations under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.
On Wednesday, Lord Justice Dingemans and Mr. Justice Chamberlain ruled that the police did not have the authority to impose the ban, reports the BBC.
Explaining the High Court’s ruling, Lord Justice Dingemans said: “Separate gatherings, separated both in time and by many miles, even if coordinated under the umbrella of one body, are not a public assembly within the meaning of… the Act.”
“The XR autumn uprising intended to be held from October 14 to 19 was not, therefore, a public assembly… therefore the decision to impose the condition was unlawful because there was no power to impose it under… the Act.”
In the case, the Metropolitan Police’s lawyers had argued that enacting the ban was the only way of dealing with the mass disruptions caused by the protesters.
Extinction Rebellion lawyers argued that the ban was “hastily imposed”, and that the Met could face hundreds of lawsuits from XR members who were arrested during the period in which the Section 14 Order was in place.
The Guardian reports that Tobias Garnett, a part of XR’s legal team, said: “It means there are a couple of hundred people whose arrests were maybe unlawful. That means they might have a cause of false imprisonment.”
So far this year, Extinction Rebellion has cost taxpayers over £37 million — more than double the annual budget for the Violent Crime Task Force.
Read more at Breitbart
England went down to toilet.
But when these jerks glue themselves to the tops of Airliners and Subways and block the traffic with their stupid human chains then they should be arrested and put on a highway clean up crew
Or the planes and trains should continue to operate as norm, and we’ll see how fast these clowns get off them.
The UK has obviously lost it. They don’t have the ability to protect themselves from those who disrupt the economy and peoples’ lives. That is what happens when liberals are in charge. The inability to protect their people and industry from the radicals constitutes a vacuum. Nature hates vacuums. This one is likely to be filled with villantee groups. Where villantee organizations have form in the past it has always been in response to a failure of law enforcement.
Can we now have a breakdown of who paid for the High Court case XR brought against the police? Do we take it that now, they will step up their disruptions and propaganda?
Why do these clowns get a free pass to do whatever they want? What happened to enforcing laws for all?
Disgusting, thus shows the financial power behind this marxist agenda; Anyone else performing similar demonstrations woukd end up with fines and even jail terms. These ignorant brainwashed herd blocked and disrupted roads, avenues, roundabouts, metros and some even tried to stop planes lift off!!!This happening in the UK will bring two consequences: First, since a powerful freemasons judge declared unlawful the actions of the police, many compensation lawsuits will be created…and second, since now blocking roads and public avenues are ok, these moronic herd will increase the levels of disruption.
But I can foresee yet another consequence: those disagreeing with the herd who might be yet again damage in their lives or business will take matters in their own hands, which to be honest with you, that’s exactly what I would do!!!