Patrick Henningsen
21st Century Wire
After 55 days on site at Balcombe, West Sussex, England, Blockade, defeated the West Sussex County Council’s court order to evict the anti-fracking campaign from their camp.
The decision was handed down on Monday by Mrs Justice Lang who ruled that the local council’s deposition was ‘flawed’, and that the local government did not have the right to forcibly evict protesters who are opposing Cuadrilla’s shale gas drilling operations in West Sussex.
This latest ruling is a signal that the tide is turning markedly in favour of the grass roots effort to keep controversial fracking industry out of the UK.
Fears over the danger of fracking causing methane contamination of local water supplies, toxic pollution and negative effects on residents’ property values tops the list of community concerns over the drilling activity.
Critics of fracking are pointing to the obvious collusion between government and shale gas corporate officials, including the apparent ethical and financial conflict of interest present with Cuardilla executive Lord John Browne of Madingley – who is also a member of the British government’s Cabinet Office.
The question has also been raised as to how a commercial organisation have been able to summon an overwhelming police force to effectively override what appears to be an overwhelming local consensus against drilling.
Campaigner Ian R. Crane was on site to provide an in depth analysis on this week’s surprising court decision. Watch here…
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READ MORE FRACKING NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Fracking Files
