Case Thrown Out for Drax 15 After £3m Police Operation to Prevent Protest
The charges against 15 people accused of ‘going equipped to lock on’ were thrown out on the second day of the scheduled two-week trial in Leeds Magistrates Court, citing a lack of evidence. Amongst the evidence offered by the prosecution were string and duct tape as examples of ‘going equipped to lock on.’
All 15 were preemptively arrested in a £3 million policing operation in August 2024, which involved 1,070 officers from 39 of the 44 forces in Britain and the seizing of accessible toilets, wheelchair trackways, and tents [1]. This happened in the same week the police claimed their resources were too “stretched” to provide protection for asylum seekers being attacked in their accommodation by far-right rioters [2].
The planned camp aimed to stand in solidarity with the frontline communities impacted by Drax’s pellet operations and shine a light on Drax’s harmful operations abroad. These communities have repeatedly accused Drax of driving environmental racism, citing the severe air pollution caused by wood pellet production releasing hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds, leaving community members relying on medical equipment to breathe [3].
The preemptive arrests of the Drax 15 form part of a broader pattern of the ever-increasing crackdownon the right to protest in Britain. The UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders has warned that environmental activists face a “severe” crackdown due to the repressive legislative framework, and the repeated police repression of pro-Palestine demonstrations has drawn widespread condemnation from the UN and human rights organisations like Amnesty International [4, 5].
Defendant Phil Ball said:
“We were preemptively arrested under a law written by a right-wing think tank bought and paid for by fossil fuel money. A law forced through Parliament by a Home Secretary from the Tory party bought and paid for by fossil fuel money.
It was misused by the police, and then, despite having no evidence, the CPS for some reason pursued this ridiculous case. The original police operation was a shocking waste of taxpayer money. This preposterous case was a further waste of taxpayers’ money alongside our own and the court’s time at a time when there’s a judicial backlog. But more than that, it’s part of a strategic attack on our democratic rights to peaceful protest.
Whilst it is, of course, a welcome decision, the question remains, why was this absurd case ever taken this far?”
Defendant Laurie said:
“The dismissal of our case today confirms without a doubt that this prosecution has been a farce. Throughout, police and prosecutors have acted only to protect Drax’s profits and suppress peaceful protest, and today’s decision is a welcome affirmation that the entire process against us has been a complete farce.”
[1] https://novaramedia.com/2025/03/18/revealed-police-spent-3m-shutting-down-climate-protest/
[2] https://www.channel4.com/news/uk-police-resources-stretched-nationwide-amid-far-right-unrest
