Those of us resisting the construction of High Speed Two are appealing to you now to support us in challenging HS2's route wide injunction proceedings.

HS2 Limited are seeking impunity from all protests through a route wide injunction against Persons Unknown against trespass on HS2 land and disruption to the construction process. Persons found to be in breach of this injunction will face prison sentences, large fines and seizure of assets. Through this intimidation, HS2 are seeking to silence protest against them.

Defending our right to protest

The scale and wide reaching nature of this injunction is unheard of. Injunctions are being used increasingly to suppress lawful protest and if HS2 get this injunction, it will set a dangerous precedent through which private companies can, in effect, pay for their own laws and to imprison their opponents.

However, it doesn't just affect activists. It also creates a dangerous situation for anyone who walks, lives and exists around the area owned by HS2 as you can break the injunction even for unknowingly being on their land.

We are raising money to pay the legal costs of challenging this outrageous injunction in court. HS2 have unlimited resources - paid for by the taxpayer - and spend hundreds of thousands on legal representation. The more money we raise, the better chance we have of challenging this draconian power grab and keeping our voices free to oppose this catastrophic construction project.

We need to challenge this now, and not let HS2 take our voices away. 

What is a Route Wide Injunction and how will it affect me?

HS2 is seeking to injunct any land in their possession and against any activities that might cause disruption to the project across the entire route. This will mean anyone who is found on HS2 land or seen to be disrupting HS2 in any way will face prison, large fines or seizure of assets. 

This injunction is not only targeted at known activists, but at normal people. It is against both named defendants and ‘Persons Unknown’ - meaning that even if you’ve never protested against HS2, you could be affected and face severe consequences for even unknowingly entering HS2 land or unknowingly interfering with work around unmarked HS2 compounds. 

This means that anyone - whether you are putting up a banner or walking your dog - is liable to severe penalties. As HS2 rarely fence and signpost the land that they own, normal people are being put severely at risk by this overreaching injunction. 

What does this mean for protest?

It is part of an extremely worrying trend in which injunctions are used to intimidate people from taking part in protest. Injunctions have been used to attempt to silence people opposing Fracking and have been used in areas of HS2 land.

The injunction HS2 are now trying to impose is extremely far reaching and almost unheard of within a legal setting. They go far beyond the scope of what an injunction is meant to be used for and effectively suppresses all lawful and legitimate protest.

What does this mean for the Stop HS2 Campaign?

HS2 are effectively seeking an end to lawful protests against them - including protest camps, actions against HS2 and the monitoring of HS2 activities. HS2 are also trying to set a dangerous precedent through which big businesses can simply brush away protests by intimidating opposition with the threat of prison sentences, large fines and seizure of assets.

Protest camps have been holding HS2 to account since 2019, and have succeeded in raising awareness about the destructive nature of HS2 both socially and environmentally. HS2 have committed countless wildlife crimes, illegally evicted protestors  At a time where awareness of climate and social crisis is peaking, HS2 are effectively attempting to silence any opposition against them. Activists already put themselves on the line on a daily basis, and this injunction will further compound the risks they already take when standing up for the issues that affect us all. 

We thank everyone who supports and engages in this campaign.