{"id":51672,"date":"2021-02-23T14:11:58","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T14:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=750359"},"modified":"2021-02-23T14:11:58","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T14:11:58","slug":"crowd-cheers-as-charged-hs2-campaigner-leaves-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/02\/23\/crowd-cheers-as-charged-hs2-campaigner-leaves-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Crowd cheers as charged HS2 campaigner leaves court"},"content":{"rendered":"

An anti-HS2 activist who spent almost a month underground in a network of tunnels in central London has denied aggravated trespass.<\/p>\n

HS2<\/h5>\n

Larch Maxey, 48, was removed<\/a> from Euston Square Gardens by bailiffs on 22 February after entering the tunnels as part of protests against the high-speed railway line. The geography lecturer appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates\u2019 Court on 23 February charged with criminal damage and two counts of obstructing or disrupting a person engaged in lawful activity.<\/p>\n

Maxey, of Denham Country Park, in Denham, Buckinghamshire, denied all three charges.<\/p>\n

The activist, from the group HS2 Rebellion, is accused of trespassing and disrupting HS2 construction work at Euston Square Gardens by refusing to leave a tunnel under the site between 27 January and 22 February.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"HS2
Workers clear felled trees next to the anti-HS2 camp at Euston Square Gardens (Victoria Jones\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

He is also alleged to have damaged a mobile phone, belonging to Vision Limited, at the site between 17 and 19 February. Maxey is further accused of trespassing on a separate HS2 site on Hampstead Road and disrupting work by climbing a tree and refusing to come down between 6 and 11 October last year.<\/p>\n

Maxey was granted bail on the condition he does not enter any HS2 construction site and does not interfere with the workings of any HS2 construction site.<\/p>\n

He was also given a curfew to remain at an address in south London between 11pm and 7am.<\/p>\n

A crowd of supporters standing outside the court building cheered as he exited shortly after his hearing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Larch
Larch Maxey leaves court (Yui Mok\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Ongoing<\/h5>\n

Maxey is next due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates\u2019 Court on 14 July for trial.<\/p>\n

The network of tunnels near the London station was created in secret by protesters who object to the redevelopment of Euston Square Gardens as part of the high-speed railway line. They were discovered on 26 January.<\/p>\n

Maxey became the fifth campaigner to leave the tunnels, after a 16-year-old boy left on 17 February after 22 days underground.<\/p>\n

There are believed to be just two remaining protesters in the tunnel \u2013 veteran environmental campaigner Dan Hooper, known as Swampy, and 18-year-old Blue Sandford, daughter of Scottish landowner Roc Sandford.<\/p>\n