Green MP Caroline Lucas has said she will plead not guilty when she appears in court today charged with offences allegedly committed during anti-fracking protests.
In an open letter to her constituents in Brighton Pavilion, Lucas said she wanted them “to be the first to know that I’ll be pleading not guilty”.
The MP was arrested during protests outside the exploratory Cuadrilla drilling site in Balcombe, West Sussex, during a day of “direct action” by protesters on August 19.
She will appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court charged with one count of breaching section 14 of the Public Order Act and one count of willful obstruction of the highway.
In the letter, which is published on her blog, Lucas said there was “a proud tradition of non-violent direct action in this country”.
“In joining the peaceful protest I wanted to send a clear message to the Government, and to support the people at the proposed fracking site in Balcombe who were standing up to be counted,” she said.
“It’s likely that there will be a trial next year. I want to reassure you that you will be able to contact me as usual, and I will continue to hold my weekly surgeries, attend local meetings and represent Brighton Pavilion in parliamentary debates.
“Thanks to everyone who’s been in touch to offer their support, and I hope this open letter goes some way towards explaining why I believe in the importance of “speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly” – a phrase from Gandhi that continues to resonate today.”
“I firmly believe in the right to peaceful protest and remain deeply concerned about the impact of fracking on climate change and the wider environment,” she said following the announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) three weeks ago that there was sufficient evidence to charge the MP, and that it was “in the public interest.”
The MP was among at least 25 people who were arrested on the same day outside the gates of the energy firm’s drilling site in London Road, where hundreds demonstrated against fracking.
Opponents of fracking, in which water and chemicals are pumped into the ground at high pressure to fracture shale rock and release gas, fear it could harm water resources and cause small earthquakes, and development of the sites will cause noise and traffic.
Recommended for you
