Climate activists stand to win £1m in payouts

High Court judges rule that Extinction Rebellion activists can sue police for false imprisonment

Extinction Rebellion activists could receive compensation totalling £1 million after winning a High Court challenge over a ban on protests that brought London to a standstill. About 400 protesters were arrested during their “Autumn Uprising”. They are now planning to sue the police for false imprisonment, suggesting the money will be used to fund future campaigns. The Metropolitan Police, which is likely to appeal, said the protests had already cost it £24 million.

‘The attempt by the police to shut down civil protest was a direct assault on democracy. I am delighted it has been struck down’

EXTINCTION Rebellion activists are planning to sue the police for false imprisonment after winning a High Court challenge over a ban on protests that brought London to a standstill.

Up to 400 protesters who were arrested stand to win total compensation of about £1million in the wake of yesterday’s legal ruling.

The group said activists would be encouraged to use any taxpayerfunded compensation to pay for future protests and legal cases.

The case was brought by seven Extinction Rebellion (XR) supporters, including two Labour MPS – Clive Lewis, a shadow minister, and David Drew, MP for Stroud, Gloucs.

The Metropolitan Police said yesterday that the policing of the Extinction Rebellion “Autumn Uprising” had already cost the force £24million and urged the Government to introduce new laws to combat disruptive protests.

Two senior High Court judges ruled yesterday that a police decision to impose a ban on Extinction Rebellion in London at the height of the protests in October was unlawful. The ban had prevented any assembly of more than two people linked to the “Autumn Uprising”.

Police said yesterday the law under Section 14 of the Public Order Act was 30 years old and needed urgent updating to cope with modern protests. Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: “The type of protests that we had in 1986 – if you can think back that far – is very different to what we saw certainly with XR in the last couple of years. The tactics that they use, such as lock ons, are very different to what we had back in 1986.”

Tobias Garnett, an XR lawyer, said: “It vindicates our belief that the police’s blanket ban on our protests was an unprecedented and unlawful infringement on the right to protest.”

The group said that 400 people arrested – including the Green MEP Ellie Chowns – for breaching the Section 14 ban and not charged with other offences, “can now sue the Met for false imprisonment following their unlawful arrests and may be entitled to compensation”.

Experts believe anybody held unlawfully for 24 hours or more could be in line for compensation of £3,000 or more. Those held for a few hours will receive less but compensation payments could top £1million. Police will also pay XR’S legal costs for bringing the judicial review.

The ban, covering the whole of London, came into effect at 9pm on Monday Oct 14 and lasted until 6pm on Oct 18 at a time when police were being stretched to breaking point.

XR activists celebrated the court victory. George Monbiot, a Guardian columnist and environmentalist who was also arrested under the ban, said: “The attempt by the Metropolitan Police to shut down civil protest was a direct assault on democracy. I am delighted it has been struck down.”

Jules Carey, lawyer at Bindmans, which represented the claimants, said: “The ban was hastily imposed, erratically applied and has now been unequivocally declared unlawful by the High Court. The police have powers to impose conditions to manage protests but not to ban them.”

In its 10-day protests, XR activists shut down areas around Parliament and the Bank of England and targeted London City Airport, government departments and public transport.

The Met said 1,828 people were arrested during the protests and more than 150 were charged with offences.

The final cost of the operation currently stands at more than £24million. The Met spent a further £16 million policing separate XR protests in April.

The Metropolitan Police said it will “carefully consider” the ruling and is likely to appeal.