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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bristol City Council acts to remove tree-top bus protesters | Bristol City Council acts to remove tree-top bus protesters |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Action to evict a group of tree-top protesters in Bristol has been started by the city council. | Action to evict a group of tree-top protesters in Bristol has been started by the city council. |
| Campaigners for the Rising Up group are unhappy about a proposed new bus route and have been perched in the trees at Stapleton Allotments for over a month. | Campaigners for the Rising Up group are unhappy about a proposed new bus route and have been perched in the trees at Stapleton Allotments for over a month. |
| Bristol City Council said "security specialists" had started to remove protesters at about 07:40 GMT. | Bristol City Council said "security specialists" had started to remove protesters at about 07:40 GMT. |
| Jennifer Harrison, who has been occupying a tree for 40 days, said she was "not going to walk off site". | Jennifer Harrison, who has been occupying a tree for 40 days, said she was "not going to walk off site". |
| "I'm looking down watching people try to physically tug someone along the ground and watching them dismantle our community," she added. | "I'm looking down watching people try to physically tug someone along the ground and watching them dismantle our community," she added. |
| "And watching, yet again, the powers-that-be disregard the wants and desires of the local community. | "And watching, yet again, the powers-that-be disregard the wants and desires of the local community. |
| "I am peacefully occupied, I will not resist in anyway but I'm also not going to walk off site." | "I am peacefully occupied, I will not resist in anyway but I'm also not going to walk off site." |
| BBC Points West's Scott Ellis at the scene: | |
| "I was evicted myself this morning when on site filming. | |
| "I was carried off site along with several protesters including a woman who was completely naked and was left at the gate by the bailiffs. | |
| "There are people up the trees who are singing and have air horns to make as much noise as they can. | |
| "Specialist teams are going up into the trees to get them down. There are also people who have locked themselves onto things and angle-grinders are being used to release them." | |
| A council spokesman said the action followed "several attempts" to resolve the protest and for protestors to leave willingly. | A council spokesman said the action followed "several attempts" to resolve the protest and for protestors to leave willingly. |
| Peter Mann, Bristol City Council's service director for transport, said: "Our top priority is to safely and effectively bring a resolution to this protest. | |
| "We have engaged professional, experienced security experts to help protestors leave the site safely. | "We have engaged professional, experienced security experts to help protestors leave the site safely. |
| "We respect people's right to peaceful and democratic protest but that cannot extend to the illegal occupation of someone else's land. | "We respect people's right to peaceful and democratic protest but that cannot extend to the illegal occupation of someone else's land. |
| "Today's actions follow several opportunities for the protesters to leave voluntarily and even today they are being offered the opportunity to leave of their own accord." | "Today's actions follow several opportunities for the protesters to leave voluntarily and even today they are being offered the opportunity to leave of their own accord." |
| Mr Mann said he hoped the process would be over "in a couple of hours". | Mr Mann said he hoped the process would be over "in a couple of hours". |