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| Green MP Caroline Lucas goes on trial over Sussex fracking protests | Green MP Caroline Lucas goes on trial over Sussex fracking protests |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Green party MP, Caroline Lucas, told police after being arrested at a protest camp that she wanted "to send a clear message to the government that fracking was not needed nor wanted", a court has heard. | The Green party MP, Caroline Lucas, told police after being arrested at a protest camp that she wanted "to send a clear message to the government that fracking was not needed nor wanted", a court has heard. |
| Lucas, the representative for Brighton Pavilion, is on trial with four others at Brighton magistrates court charged with breaching section 14 of the Public Order Act and wilful obstruction of the highway outside the Cuadrilla exploratory drilling site in Balcombe, West Sussex, on 19 August last year. | Lucas, the representative for Brighton Pavilion, is on trial with four others at Brighton magistrates court charged with breaching section 14 of the Public Order Act and wilful obstruction of the highway outside the Cuadrilla exploratory drilling site in Balcombe, West Sussex, on 19 August last year. |
| Opening the prosecution case on Monday, Jonathan Edwards said that on her arrest, Lucas answered police questions without a legal representative being present. | Opening the prosecution case on Monday, Jonathan Edwards said that on her arrest, Lucas answered police questions without a legal representative being present. |
| "She wanted to send a clear message to the government that fracking was not needed nor wanted," he said. "She did not believe that she was blocking anyone trying to get access to the site because she understood there was no drilling taking place that day and she was not on the road." | "She wanted to send a clear message to the government that fracking was not needed nor wanted," he said. "She did not believe that she was blocking anyone trying to get access to the site because she understood there was no drilling taking place that day and she was not on the road." |
| He said Lucas told police that a section 14 notice issued under the Public Order Act had been dropped in her lap and she had "scanned it". She was aware she faced arrest but "wanted to show solidarity with the other demonstrators". | He said Lucas told police that a section 14 notice issued under the Public Order Act had been dropped in her lap and she had "scanned it". She was aware she faced arrest but "wanted to show solidarity with the other demonstrators". |
| The court, filled with supporters of the defendants, was shown footage of the leadup to Lucas's arrest. She can be seen with arms linked with other protesters, singing: "We shall not be moved." | |
| At one stage a man with whom she has linked arms is forcibly dragged away by a police officer who has one hand on the man's forehead. Before an officer begins reading Lucas her rights, he can be heard asking: "Is there anything I can say that will make you move away from here without arrest?" | |
| The court heard that one of the defences employed by the five on trial will be "necessity". | |
| The first witness to give evidence was Sussex police's temporary chief constable, Giles York, who was deputy chief constable for the force at the time of the protests. He said that he authorised a section 14 notice because of intelligence that "there was an intent to stop the drilling from happening. There was information about trying to incur on the site as well and maybe to protest at other sites in the area." | |
| He said that he had balanced the need for there to be "meaningful protest", which is why a specific area for demonstrators was designated close to the exploration site. | He said that he had balanced the need for there to be "meaningful protest", which is why a specific area for demonstrators was designated close to the exploration site. |
| Unusually, one of the defendants, Sheila Menon, made a statement on behalf of all five of them as they arrived at the court building where they were greeted by scores of anti-fracking demonstrators. She said that the five had been taking part in a peaceful protest on 19 August last year and, in reference to the possibility of fracking in the UK, that "the stakes could not be higher". | Unusually, one of the defendants, Sheila Menon, made a statement on behalf of all five of them as they arrived at the court building where they were greeted by scores of anti-fracking demonstrators. She said that the five had been taking part in a peaceful protest on 19 August last year and, in reference to the possibility of fracking in the UK, that "the stakes could not be higher". |
| The crowd cheered and applauded as the defendants entered the court building and played Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up on a portable stereo. The other defendants are Josef Dobraszczyck, Ruth Jarman and Ruth Potts. | The crowd cheered and applauded as the defendants entered the court building and played Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up on a portable stereo. The other defendants are Josef Dobraszczyck, Ruth Jarman and Ruth Potts. |