XR protesters 'halt' work at HS2 site near Maple Cross

Protesters have blocked several entrances and scaled a tunnel at an HS2 site today.

Extinction Rebellion and Stop HS2 have partnered up to protest at the HS2 compound on the outskirts of Maple Cross.

Images shared online show that protesters have been at the site since the early morning and a statement on Extinction Rebellion's website says its action forced construction to come to a halt.

Some protesters dressed head to toe in red and wearing masks even managed to get into the compound itself.

Credit: Extinction Rebellion St Albans

Credit: Extinction Rebellion

The statement reads: "Today, Friday October 9, Extinction Rebellion and Stop HS2 have responded to the Prime Minister’s call to protect biodiversity by blocking HS2 worksites across the 140-mile stretch from London to Birmingham asking him to tell the truth and, in his own words ‘act now without dither or delay’.

"Extinction Rebellion targeted the 135 acre tunnelling site in West Hyde near Denham next to the M25, where the £16million tunnel boring machines are due to break into the Chilterns in early 2021.

"Protestors stood on top of the 17m high tunnel, released flares and blocked the gates to the compound by locking and gluing themselves onto structures similar to those used to disrupt the distribution of the Daily Mail and other newspapers outside Broxbourne printworks only a few weeks ago.

"A banner held outside a compound entrance read ‘Extinction is forever: Stop HS2’."

Credit: Extinction Rebellion St Albans

A banner is held outside one of the gates. Credit: Extinction Rebellion/Gareth Morris

Other photos show police officers at one of the entrances to the gate, with others gates blocking access to construction vehicles.

Protesters have also climbed 'rebel' structures which have been stationed outside the gates.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: "We are currently dealing with an incident near Maple Cross, involving a number of protestors who are outside the HS2 site. Officers are on scene."

Extinction Rebellion campaigners from all over the country have joined the protest near Maple Cross including members from St Albans and Bournemouth.

Extinction Rebellion's 'rebel structures' blocked traffic at one point. Credit: Gareth Morris

Two protesters lie on the ground watched by police. Credit: Marina Iliara

Elizabeth Cairns, Extinction Rebellion spokesperson and local mum of two, said: "Every day HS2 brings us closer to 4 degrees warming this century and will decimate much of our remaining biodiversity.

"The future survival of our children is being ripped away by HS2 chainsaws and the inability of our Government to act as if this emergency is real.

"It’s very simple, if we are to respond meaningfully to the ecological crisis we need to stop cutting down trees and we need to plant new ones, lots of them. There is absolutely no place for massively destructive projects that rape and devastate our beautiful planet.

"The responsibility lies with us all to act.

Credit: Extinction Rebellion

In September, Boris Johnson insisted HS2 will be "crucial for our country".

Speaking at a "shovels in the ground" event in Solihull, West Midlands, Mr Johnson said: "I’ve got absolutely no doubt that mass transit transport infrastructure is going to be crucial for our country, not just now, but in the decades ahead.

"This incredible project is going to be delivering 22,000 jobs now, but tens of thousands more high-skilled jobs in the decades ahead, linking Birmingham, eight miles away there, to London, just 38 minutes behind me when HS2 is built."

A thread published by the verified HS2 account on Twitter on October 1 stated HS2 takes the environmental cost of construction "seriously", adding seven million trees and shrubs will be planted, with 430,000 new trees already planted.

The thread added HS2 "will help transition the UK to a net-zero carbon UK economy".