Protester arrested in bid to stop tree felling
AN EXTINCTION Rebellion protester has been arrested after climbing a 150-year-old tree in an attempt to stop it from being cut down.
Two mature and healthy oak trees at Suffolk House in Canton, Cardiff, were due to be cut down yesterday following the felling of two other trees earlier this year.
Campaigners from Suffolk House Campaign and Extinction Rebellion were at the site in Cardiff from 5am yesterday in order to halt and disrupt the felling.
A member of Extinction Rebellion climbed one of the trees while other protesters, including those from the Suffolk House Campaign, positioned themselves inside a cordoned-off area of the road.
South Wales Police said one man was later arrested and was helping officers with inquiries.
Video shared on social media at around 4.20pm appears to show workers cutting down part of the tree while the protester was still in it.
Work on felling one of the two trees was carried out earlier in the day.
The protester planned to stay there until the end of the road closure at 5pm, which would have prevented work on the second tree from being carried out.
David, an Extinction Rebellion protester who did not want to give his surname, said the group were there in support of the local community.
“We are trying to protect this community and its green infrastructure. There is nothing wrong with these trees, they are healthy and mature.”
Katherine Jones, a Canton resident and member of the Suffolk House Campaign, said the area was a big feature in Canton, offering some green landscape to what is a busy main road.
“There were four really mature, beautiful trees here in a really prominent location on a busy road. They add to the street and the character of the area. We should be protecting our green infrastructure like this.”
Katherine, 29, has lived in Canton for three years and said she is part of an active group of around 30 people who have been campaigning to save the trees on this site.
“It is a very local issue, everybody is completely on the side of the trees.”
Planning permission was approved in March last year to turn the Suffolk House site into 17 new homes, including seven town houses and 10 apartments in the main building.
The housing developers also applied to cut down the trees as they said they are damaging the wall surrounding the property.
Protesters previously halted the felling of the trees in January over concerns that the correct legal notice was not in place.