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The Trial of the Kingsnorth Six
Sep. 3rd, 2008 02:01 pmSix Greenpeace protesters are on trial this week. They're taking a ballsy defence: that damaging Kingsnorth (a coal-fired power station and proposed site of a new coal power station soon) is not an offence because they have a lawful excuse.
It could set an interesting precedent. You can follow trial updates on the Greenpeace blog.
"Lawful excuse includes preventing damage to other property; an example, said the prosecution, would be breaking "a window to pull a trapped child from a burning car".
The defendants will claim, he said, that it was "lawful for them to damage the chimney in order to protect other property - other property, you'll hear, in Kent and all around the world, other property said to be at the risk of much more serious damage: threatened by the consequences of climate change which is caused by the substantial increase in what are generally termed as greenhouse gases, to which it is said coal fired power stations make a very large contribution."
Also interesting, the prosecution isn't seeking to dispute the reality of climate change or its impacts:" [greenpeace.org.uk]
The defendants will claim, he said, that it was "lawful for them to damage the chimney in order to protect other property - other property, you'll hear, in Kent and all around the world, other property said to be at the risk of much more serious damage: threatened by the consequences of climate change which is caused by the substantial increase in what are generally termed as greenhouse gases, to which it is said coal fired power stations make a very large contribution."
Also interesting, the prosecution isn't seeking to dispute the reality of climate change or its impacts:" [greenpeace.org.uk]
It could set an interesting precedent. You can follow trial updates on the Greenpeace blog.
Officially, this is due to pressure from the 
