The section 14 ban on Extiction Rebellion protests in October has been deemed “unlawful” by the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Wednesday. The high court ruling could pave the way for hundreds of Extinction Rebellion protests to sue the police for “unlawfully depriving them of their liberty.”
The judges ruled that the police had misused the section 14 power, as Green MEP for West Middlands, Elizabeth Chowns, called the right to assembly and protest “cornerstones of democracy.”
Tobias Garnett, human rights lawer and activist for the group, spoke of “preemptive arrests,” and the confiscation of belongings, including equipment that excluded disabled people from joining in the protests.
“The judgement was fairly clear that they had acted beyond their powers, and if they do we will be seeking to fight against that appeal,” Garnett added.
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