Police Remove XR Protest ‘Lighthouse’ Outside County Council Meeting

Published on: 11 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 13 Dec, 2019

Extinction Rebellion protest outside Surrey County Hall.

Report and images by Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter 

Police moved in on a protest outside Surrey County Hall to remove an Extinction Rebellion (XR) South East lighthouse structure ahead of a council meeting.

One protester was injured as about a dozen officers lifted the tall metal statue and carried it behind the county council offices in Kingston on Tuesday (December 10) before the 10am meeting started. They also moved three barrels.

Council chairman Cllr Tony Samuels closed the public gallery “on the advice of police” but press and council officers were allowed in.

The XR lighthouse, known as Little Greta, has been used at other protests and events including the Labour Party conference in Brighton. XR members said this was the first time police had removed it.

The lighthouse being returned to protesters after the meeting at Surrey County Hall.

Environmental campaigners had gathered at 9am and started banging drums and singing. They had been planning a theatrical demonstration.

Protester Chris Neill, from Godalming, said: “We were going to erect the lighthouse here and it was going to sound an emergency shipping horn.

“I feel upset about it [being removed]. I was surprised the police conduct was quite violent. People were thrown aside.”

Carol Foussat injured in the commotion outside Surrey County Hall with XR protest.

XR member Carol Foussat, also from Godalming, injured her finger in the commotion between officers and protesters and was still shaking moments after police removed the structure.

She said she was trying to ask officers under what powers they were taking the lighthouse.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she added. “I haven’t seen anything like it in my life. I’m really angry. These are our police. They are meant to be looking after us. Under what powers are they removing this?”

Another XR member said the lighthouse has been used elsewhere “with no problems”.

She said they were not going to cover it due to the winds.

The demonstration was about SCC’s decision to grant planning permission for 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill near Horley and the investment of pension funds in fossil- fuel companies.

Inside, council leader Tim Oliver told the meeting: “It is a shame there was an incident this morning which made it unsafe to allow people into the public gallery.”

On pension investments, he said that was an issue for the pension committee adding: “It’s not something we as members have any control of.”

And on the Horse Hill planning application, he said: “The Planning Committee, as I understand it, complied with legislation. There were no planning guidelines to oppose the application.”

He said the council was held to government rules and protesters should “lobby the government to change rules”.

The planning decision is subject to a potential Judicial Review being sought by campaigners.

The protest was part of a co-ordinated action day against the links between fossil fuels and the climate emergency under the seasonal banner “10 Lords-A-Leaping Through the Hoops of the Fossil Fuel Industry”.

On Tuesday morning, XR protesters blocked the entrance of UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) oil production site at Horse Hill in Horley. Two locked themselves to each other outside the gates.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Some equipment was seized from the protesters due to concerns it would be used to obstruct council business. The equipment has been returned to the protesters. No arrests have been made.”

Responses to Police Remove XR Protest ‘Lighthouse’ Outside County Council Meeting

Sarah Webb Reply

December 11, 2019 at 9:28 pm

The police seem to be reacting violently to peaceful protest. This is very sad for a supposed democracy.
Ruth Allen Reply

December 11, 2019 at 9:55 pm

Police behaviour was completely unwarranted, given XR protesters were a group of largely middle-aged, and resolutely non-criminal, parents from Surrey. Why they thought pushing mothers around was reasonable I will never know. But then for some reason we have London police interfering with the relationship between Surrey residents and their elected representatives.

As a result, they have no understanding of our community and how we behave. Meanwhile, the real criminals are at Horse Hill, destroying our county’s beautiful land, water and air.
John Perkins Reply

December 12, 2019 at 11:14 am

Passive-Aggressive is a more accurate description than “peaceful”.
Dave Middleton Reply

December 12, 2019 at 11:53 pm

What the XR protesters seem to have failed to grasp, is that protest must be both peaceful and lawful.

Obstructing the highway, trespassing, aggravated trespass, causing criminal damage, obstructing the police, interfering with and obstructing the lawful activities of the general public and democratically elected bodies, is both unlawful and undemocratic.

While their aims in terms of improving the world environment are generally agreed by most to be sensible, their activities while protesting are turning public opinion against them and harming their cause, as was clearly seen at Shadwell Station earlier this year.

Setting up a huge metal structure (of dubious safety), on the forecourt of County Hall, with the intention of sounding a foghorn and probably chaining themselves to it, to disrupt a meeting of democratically elected representatives is not lawful or acceptable.