Protest staged at Stonehenge over tunnel plans
A "mass trespass" took place at the world famous monument on Saturday
Last updated 7th Dec 2020
The group, made up of local residents, ecologists, land justice and climate activists, archaeologists and Pagans gathered at Stonehenge at around 12pm on the 5th of December in protest at the £1.7 billion scheme.
The scheme which involves dualling the A303 and putting it through a 2 mile tunnel was approved by the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last month against the recommendation of planning inspectors.
The group has branded Mr Shapps decision as 'draconian' and have also pledged their support to the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site which has recently launched a legal challenge to the Government's decision.
Dan Hooper, best known as 'Swampy' who made his name in the 90s through a series of environmental campaigns said:
"This is the coming together of people who are saying we have had enough. The Stonehenge tunnel is just one scheme in a £27 billion roads programme. As road transport is the single largest source of carbon emissions in the UK, this is insane. Building more roads simply leads to more traffic and carbon. The Government is ignoring the uncomfortable but very real truth that time is running short. Now is a critical time to rethink our connection with nature. We need to put a stop to these road schemes as we did before"
Simon Bramwell, who is a pagan described the site as "hallowed ground" said the money would be better spent elsewhere than on what he described as a "harebrained project."
SITE CLOSED
English Heritage closed Stonehenge for the remainder of the day on Saturday.
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION
Wiltshire Police say no arrests were made and the event"passed peacefully."
The force issued this statement:
"We can confirm that the planned protest at Stonehenge on Saturday (5/12) passed peacefully.A small number of people attended the event and no arrests were made."
"Whilst we are grateful that the protest was peaceful and it quickly dispersed, we do want to remind the public that trespassing on the stones is against the law. "
"We along with our partners at English Heritage are keen to help protect this iconic site for many generations to come."
An English Heritage spokesperson said:
“It is an offence under the Stonehenge Regulations (1997) for people to enter the monument area without English Heritage’s permission. Whilst we respect people’s right to demonstrate peacefully, we do not condone behaviour that disrupts and endangers the site and the people who visit or work here.”
Highways England say the road scheme will remove traffic from the iconic setting and 'return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting.'