We Must Acknowledge The Importance Of A Society In Which Peaceful Protest – Says Margaret Pinder

Margaret Pinder has voiced her views in regard to the Crawberry Hill Camp being dismantled by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Labour’s prospective Parliamentary candidate for Beverly and Holderness has issued a statement following statement following the force removal of the anti-fracking camp at Crawberry Hill:

She said;

“I very much regret that East Riding of Yorkshire Council has taken this step in deciding to remove the camp structures and enforcing that decision.”

“The tradition of public protest in this country is a long and honourable one; the record of its suppression less so.”

“I visited the camp on more than one occasion to see the situation myself, to speak to the protesters and to hear their concerns.”

“These are men and women of good conscience who have perceived a real and active threat to the well-being of us all and have shown a willingness to set aside their own immediate well-being and physical comfort to oppose that threat.”

“For the council to say does not seek to obstruct or deny the protesters’ democratic right to protest and has offered to provide an alternative area of highway verge for them to carry on their protest without any structures being erected, is to ensure that the protest is, in effect, significantly compromised.”

“We must all support the rule of law, but we must also be alert to how the law – which is there for the proper protection of us all, including the Crawberry Hill protesters – is applied.”

“It is perhaps unsurprising if regrettable that arrests took place during the dismantling of the camp including an arrest for an assault on a police officer. I condemn any violence as we all should.”

“The issue of shale gas fracking is and will continue to be an emotive one. The protesters believe it poses a very real threat to the integrity of our environment. I share their concerns and am pleased that the Labour Party is now pursuing a ban on fracking near aquifers such as those from which we draw our water in the East Riding.”

“However, in this immediate situation we must also look to equally precious British values of civil liberties and the right to dissent. Whether or not we oppose or support fracking, we must acknowledge the importance of a society in which peaceful protest – and peaceful process may be angry and vocal – is not merely tolerated, but also respected.”

During the camp removal the media and public were blocked from attending the site to witness what was happening on the camp and just what force was being used.

A cleverly planned operation kept everyone at safe distance giving the council and the people they employed than opportunity to do carry out the work unchallenged.

All nine ward Councillors in Beverley, who are all members of the Conservative Party, have again failed to speak out about the events of yesterday as they again choose to a highly contentious issue both locally and nationally.