Defiant Swampy will put ‘life on the line’ as he refuses to leave 100ft Euston tunnel in fight against ‘monstrous’ HS2
DEFIANT eco-warrior Swampy has said he will put his “life on the line” after refusing to leave the 100ft protest tunnel.
The protesters, fighting to stop the “monstrous” HS2, are living in underground tunnels underneath Euston Square, London – and have vowed to stay for a “very long time.”
Daniel Hooper, 47, also known as Swampy, said he would die if necessary – and that he had been working on the secret tunnel beneath Euston Square Gardens since before Christmas.
They were formally evicted from their protest camp on Wednesday – but had been building the tunnel in secret, unknown to anyone.
At least five protesters, including the veteran campaigner, have barricaded themselves in two protest tunnels – Kelvin and Crystal.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun from 10ft under the streets of Central London, Swampy said: “We’ll keep on digging. I’m prepared to put my life on the line if need be.
“As far as I’m concerned these tunnels are safe but we’re prepared to last this out for as long as it takes.
“We’re in a climate emergency and the government is pressing ahead with the HS2 project that will deforest large areas, it’s madness.
“We’re living in desperate times. I’m worried about my children’s future.
“This will go on for weeks, not days. We’ll stay here as long as is necessary.”
The group said that one of them has chained themselves to a concrete block inside one of the tunnels.
They also confirmed that the tunnel had collapsed five times on Thursday night.
Protesters have also been moaning about the “torture of sleep deprivation” as bailiffs worked throughout the night to dig them out.
‘DRAG ME OUT’
One protester said that a truce made with the National Eviction Team to not work between 5 and 7am was broken by the sound of heavy digging machinery.
Larch Maxey, 48, who has been living in the park since August, was filmed saying: “The hardest thing now is the noise, they are constantly working making loads of noise with loud machinery.
“We’ve had no sleep, that’s been really hard.
“They promised they would give us a couple of hours without working at the end of the night shift between 5 and 7am.
“But as soon as we gave them what they wanted they backtracked.
“We’ve had no time without the constant noise.
“It’s a form of torture to have no sleep, sleep deprivation is a well-known form of torture. It’s not comfortable, it’s not pleasant.
“We put a lot of effort being safe down here but if we are sleep deprived it might it’s completely unjustified.
“Please put pressure on HS2 to give us some sleep.”
Maxey also told The Sun last night: “Our spirits are high. As Daniel said we’ll stay here for as long as is needed to get our message across.”
Swampy, a dad-of-four who shot to fame in 1996 when he led protesters chained to trees to stand in the way of a bypass in Newbury, Berks, also warned that it will take bailiffs a “very long time” to get them out.
He said in a video from the 100ft tunnel: “We’re in the tunnel to Euston, stopping the HS2.
“The tunnels going on a very long way. There’s an excellent crew of people that are going to be down here for the eviction.
“I think it will take them a very long time. And it could be the tipping point.”
Dramatic scenes unfolded yesterday morning as activists were dragged from their central London camp by bailiffs, with one heard yelling as he was led away.
Officers said that the activists’ inexperience was exposing them to “significant risk” in the tunnel and that it was aware of a previous collapse and “water ingress”.
Protesters scurried into their tunnel and up trees to avoid being evicted – but five people, four men and one woman, were arrested by Met Police as cops monitored potential breaches of the peace and Covid legislation.
Activists claim their tunnel – nicknamed Calvin, near busy Euston Road – took two months to dig and is their “best defence” to thwart eviction from their camp.
It has since been claimed there is a second tunnel named Crystal that connects to the network.
Al, 18 of Hendon, previously told The Sun that the tunnel dropped down 10 feet before extending 100 ft in length.
ECO PROTEST
He said: “We’re using direct action and making sacrifices because this is the most effective means of change. We shouldn’t be spending billions and billions of pounds on a project which is only there to serve the interests of the wealthy.”
Eco-warriors say the group have “stocks of food” plus bedding and even toilet facilities in the underground tunnel that they have been working on in secret.
Protesters previously admitted the tunnel suffered a “big collapse” after heavy rain while under construction, raising fears the shaft could fall in on itself while activists are inside it.
Lawyers for the eco-protesters last week insisted the site was being “legally squatted” and that evictions were illegal under Covid regulations until February 21.
But a HS2 spokesperson said the current ban on evictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic is not applicable, adding: “The protests are a danger to the safety of the protesters, our staff and the general public.”
The group claims HS2 is the “most expensive, wasteful and destructive project in UK history”.
They say the project will “destroy or irreparably damage 108 ancient woodlands and 693 wildlife sites”.
And they claim HS2’s plan to build an aquifer in Colne Valley, West London, risks contaminating almost a quarter of the capital’s water supply.
But HS2 bosses insist seven million trees will be planted during phase one of the project and most ancient woodland will “remain intact”.
A spokesman for HS2 said the tunnel protests were “costly to the taxpayer”.
An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: “To ensure HS2 is able to deliver its major benefits to the UK on time, certain works must take place at designated times. HS2 has taken legal temporary possession of Euston Square Gardens East in order to progress with works necessary for the construction of the new Euston station.
“These protests are a danger to the safety of the protesters, our staff and the general public, and put unnecessary strain on the emergency services during a pandemic. The protesters are currently trespassing on land that is legally possessed by HS2.”
