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113-482: The Impossible Rebellion was the fifth major set of XR protests; activists are focusing on short-term protests in highly visited areas rather than taking hold of smaller numbers of area, as in previous actions. Demonstrations variously focused on banks' continued investment in fossil fuels, new road and rail infrastructure such as HS2 , the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest , treatment of animals on Crown Estate land and

226-586: A Unicef report on the impact of climate change on children. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the largest dairy distribution centre in the UK— Arla 's factory near Aylesbury —was disrupted by Animal Rebellion activists who erected wooden structures blocking the entrance and exit of the building, preventing access by large vehicles and lead to road closures. A police process removal team tried to remove around 50 protesters who had arrived from 5   a.m. and locked themselves to factory structures, while others erected tents around

339-417: A 4 metre tall pink table, augmented with a sound system and displaying the phrase "come to the table – change is now", was placed there as an invitation for the public to join protests and a demand for the creation of citizens' assemblies. The van that delivered the table was parked and six activists tied themselves to it. The table was dismantled by police on Tuesday morning. At 7   p.m., the police imposed

452-552: A 9.8-mile (15.8 km) tunnel under the Chiltern Hills , to emerge near South Heath , northwest of Amersham . The route will roughly parallel the A413 road and the London to Aylesbury Line , to the west of Wendover . This is a green cut-and-cover tunnel under farmland, with soil spread over the final construction in order to reduce visual impact and noise, and allow use of the land above

565-473: A Blood Money march themed around banking, with protesters dressed as bankers with bloody hands or suffragettes. Standard Chartered , the London Stock Exchange and Guildhall were covered in fake blood, representing those of slaves and others. XR speakers said that Standard Chartered had invested £23   billion in fossil fuels since the 2015 Paris Agreement . The Guardian reported that Friday saw

678-519: A branch to the Midland Main Line north of Derby for trains to continue to Sheffield. The original scheme also included a through station at Toton , between Nottingham and Derby. The HS2 eastern section was largely eliminated, leaving a branch from Coleshill near Birmingham to East Midlands Parkway station, just south of Nottingham and Derby, where the HS2 track would end, with trains continuing north onto

791-596: A dispersal order under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to limit the protest. The Guardian reported that protester numbers appeared to be fewer than in previous rebellions. Protesters built a camp in Cambridge Circus on Tuesday, while in Westminster , XR Cymru organised a "die-in" protest to outline ways in which climate change kills people. Additionally, protesters dressed as window cleaners and scrubbed

904-401: A fairer military justice system and freedom of voluntary association. Miscarriages of justice At this time NCCL was also involved in several miscarriage of justice cases, including that of Emery, Powers and Thompson, who were sentenced to between four and ten years' imprisonment for assaulting a police officer, even though someone else confessed to the crime and the prosecution evidence

1017-484: A junction connects to the north-south West Coast Main Line . There will be new stations at Old Oak Common in northwest London; Birmingham Interchange , near Solihull ; and Birmingham city centre . The trains will reach a maximum speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) when operating on HS2 track, dropping to 201 km/h (125 mph) on conventional track. The length of the new line has been reduced substantially since it

1130-558: A month from 100 volunteers, and that they aimed to upcycle and reuse as many materials as possible. The demonstrations involved drumming and chanting, and human barriers to cause road closures. A June 2021 Supreme Court ruling—nicknamed the "Ziegler judgment"—found that obstructing a highway during a protest could be lawful, but the deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police commented that "officers are still able to take action if they see wilful obstruction". Prior to

1243-455: A new high-speed railway will be more cost-effective and less disruptive than upgrading the existing conventional rail network. The DfT has forecast that improved connectivity will have a positive economic impact, and that favourable journey times and ample capacity will generate a modal shift from air and road to rail. On 21 August 2019, the DfT ordered an independent review of the project. The review

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1356-650: A new museum quarter, with the original station building becoming a new museum of photography, fronting onto a new Curzon Square, which will also be home to Ikon 2 , a museum of contemporary art. Clearing the site for construction commenced in December 2018. Grimshaw Architects received planning permission for three applications in April 2020. The new station is expected to have a zero-carbon rating and over 2,800 square metres (30,000 sq ft) of solar panels. The plan makes provision for HS2 service passenger interchanges to

1469-569: A public order act, police made a samba band leave the area. On Thursday 26 August, Animal Rebellion protested at Victoria Memorial by putting red dye in the fountain and holding placards reading "a royal blood bath", to raise awareness of Crown Estate land that is used for hunting and factory farming. A sit-in at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy protested against new fossil fuel investments. XR Roads Rebellion protested against road building projects like HS2 . Friday saw

1582-609: A review by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition , a route was proposed, subject to public consultation, based on a Y-shaped route from London to Birmingham with branches to Leeds and Manchester , as originally put forward by the previous Labour government, with alterations designed to minimise the visual, noise, and other environmental impacts of the line. In January 2012, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that HS2 would go ahead in two phases and

1695-518: A sister group to XR, took the form of overnight occupation of a McDonald's in Leicester Square , where police arrested 36 people. The next day, protests included a FINT (female, intersex, non-binary and trans) themed protest at a status of Anteros in Piccadilly Circus , a protest against deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the subsequent displacement of indigenous peoples, outside

1808-564: A tunnel bored under Long Itchington Wood, the route will pass through rural areas between Kenilworth and Coventry , crossing the A46 to enter the West Midlands. Birmingham Interchange Station will be on the outskirts of Solihull , close to the strategic road network, including the M42 , M6 , M6 toll , and A45 . These roads will be crossed on viaducts. The station is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and

1921-475: Is a change in the attitude which assumes that all cases of paedophilia result in lasting damage". The NCCL also sought to place the "onus of proof on the prosecution to show that the child was actually harmed" rather than having a blanket ban on child pornography and advocated the decriminalisation of incest . Organisations such as Paedophile Information Exchange (P.I.E.), a pro-paedophile activist group, and Paedophile Action for Liberation became affiliated to

2034-622: Is expected to be fully complete in May 2025. Liberty (advocacy group) Liberty , formerly, and still formally, called the National Council for Civil Liberties ( NCCL ), is an advocacy group and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom , which challenges unjust laws, protects civil liberties and promotes human rights . It does this through the courts, in Parliament and in

2147-512: Is immediately adjacent to Moor Street station , and approximately 400 metres (0.25 mi) northeast of New Street station , which is separated from Curzon and Moor streets by the Bull Ring . Passenger interchange with Moor Street would be at street level, across Moor Street Queensway; interchange with New Street would be via a pedestrian walkway between Moor Street and New Street (opened in 2013). In September 2018, one of Birmingham's oldest pubs,

2260-563: Is the shortest on the route and will take passengers underneath an ancient woodland. The Bromford tunnel will take trains into Birmingham city centre . In April 2023, HS2 announced that work on the Euston tunnels linking Old Oak Common to Euston was being deferred and that tunnel-boring had been rescheduled to start in summer 2025. In October 2023, the Government announced that any Euston terminus would not be government-funded. However, in May 2024,

2373-580: Is to be Britain's second purpose-built high-speed railway after High Speed 1 , which connects London to the Channel Tunnel . London and Birmingham will be served directly by new high speed track, and services to Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester will use a mix of new high speed track and the existing West Coast Main Line . The majority of the project is planned to be completed by 2033. The new track will be built between London Euston and Handsacre, near Lichfield in southern Staffordshire, where

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2486-533: Is what was compelling "otherwise mild-mannered people" to "deliberately break the law", saying that the Impossible Rebellion is "important" to "help communicate the scale of the changes required". HS2 High Speed 2 ( HS2 ) is a high-speed railway which is under construction in England. The line will run between Handsacre , in southern Staffordshire , and London, with a spur to Birmingham . HS2

2599-461: The Evening Standard , around 2,000 volunteers worked for XR on art action design, including banners, flags, costumes, sculptures and other design work. Art co-ordinators create some costumes, such as the "red rebels", and issue instructions to other XR chapters on how to replicate the artwork. The UK arts factory co-ordinator stated that creating banners and flags required 16-hour working days for

2712-452: The Evening Standard . The files were destroyed and the major privacy protection 'Right to Know' campaign to give individuals greater control over their personal information was launched in 1977. Near the end of 1974, Patricia Hewitt , later a Labour cabinet minister, was appointed as general secretary. A number of other future high-profile Labour politicians worked at the organisation at this time, such as Harriet Harman , who worked as

2825-574: The 2015 UK general election , Liberty has spearheaded the campaign to save the Human Rights Act. In August 2015, Chakrabarti said Liberty intended to become "more vigilant and active" in Scotland. She later shared a platform with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to jointly defend the HRA. In January 2016 it emerged that Chakrabarti was standing down as Liberty's director. Martha Spurrier took up

2938-604: The Elizabeth Line and Great Western Line . The plan makes provision for HS2 service passenger interchanges on foot to the West Coast main Line and London Underground ("Tube") services via the adjacent Euston tube station and Euston square tube station . The West Midlands Metro , a tram service, is to serve Curzon Street, providing access to onward services from Birmingham Snow Hill , Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton . There are five twin-bore tunnel sections on

3051-570: The Fox and Grapes , was demolished to make way for the new developments. The West Midlands Metro will be extended to serve the station. Development planning for the Fazeley Street quarter of Birmingham has changed as a result of HS2. Prior to the announcement of the HS2 station, Birmingham City University had planned to build a new campus in Eastside . The proposed Eastside development will now include

3164-631: The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in protest of the City of London Corporation and held a banner reading "co-liberation freedom together". Jerome Flynn was in attendance among around 200 people. The two weeks of protests began in Trafalgar Square on Monday 23 August 2021 at 10   a.m., with a speech from Esther Stanford-Xosei followed by a march to a junction in Covent Garden . Around midday,

3277-551: The Marine Stewardship Council buildings paid tribute to aquatic animals in captivity. On Sunday night, silent protests and die-ins at the Science Museum were followed by 200 activists entering the museum, with 11 of them gluing or locking themselves to railings inside. The group included scientists and a 12-foot dodo prop, in opposition of petrol, diesel and fossil fuel investment—the museum accepted donations from

3390-623: The North London line and Hythe Road on the West London line . Birmingham Interchange will be a through station situated in suburban Solihull, within a triangle of land enclosed by the M42 , A45 , and A452 highways. A people mover with a capacity of over 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction will connect the station to the National Exhibition Centre , Birmingham Airport , and

3503-466: The Prime Minister . Women's rights Campaigning for women's rights was also a major part of NCCL's work in this period, including successfully calling for reform of jury service laws that effectively prevented women and the poor from serving on juries by means of a property qualification. Right to public protest NCCL intervened on behalf of groups refused permission to protest and monitoring

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3616-540: The South East , as HS2 will reduce travel times from London to Birmingham Airport to under 40   minutes. Birmingham Curzon Street will be the terminal station at the end of a branch that connects to the HS2 spine via a junction at Coleshill . A station of the same name existed on the Curzon Street site between 1838 and 1966; the surviving Grade I listed station building will be retained and renovated. The site

3729-552: The Water Orton rail corridor, the Birmingham to Derby line through Castle Bromwich , and through a tunnel past Bromford . A key feature of the HS2 proposals is that the new high-speed track will be connected to the existing West Coast Main Line track at Handsacre, north of Birmingham, taking trains north on the existing track. This is the only connection between the new and existing track. This connection allows HS2 services to serve

3842-714: The coronavirus pandemic is affecting Human Rights in the UK. BBC ban During the 1940s, the NCCL led protests against a BBC ban on artists who attended a 'People's Convention' organised by the Communist Party . Soldiers' civil liberties In the years following the Second World War , the NCCL campaigned for better civil liberties protections for members of the Armed Forces, including for better education and vocational training,

3955-546: The taxi rank at Euston was moved to a temporary site at the front of the station so that demolition of the One Euston Square and Grant Thornton House tower blocks could commence. The demolition period was scheduled to last ten months. In June 2020, workers finished the demolition of the western ramp and canopy of the station. This part of the station had housed the parcels depot, which fell into disuse after parcel traffic shifted to being serviced by road. In March 2023,

4068-519: The 70s." Gay rights and censorship NCCL acted for the owners of Gay's the Word bookshop , whose stock was confiscated by Customs officers in 1984. All charges were dropped in 1986. Miners' strike During the miners' strike , NCCL campaigned on behalf of miners stopped from picketing outside their home regions. MI5 surveillance The European Court of Human Rights ruled that MI5 surveillance of Harriet Harman and Patricia Hewitt during

4181-701: The Bill became law as the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 , NCCL succeeded in watering it down. Other prominent early themes included campaigning against fascists, against film censorship and support for striking miners in Nottinghamshire . When Oswald Mosley was released from prison in 1943 (he had been imprisoned without trial under Defence Regulation 18B ), the National Council for Civil Liberties demanded his continued imprisonment. A.W. Brian Simpson notes that

4294-559: The Brazilian Embassy, and a mock award ceremony by Money Rebellion for the Department for International Trade for "making an outstandingly awful contribution to climate change". Construction of a second pink table in Oxford Circus , of 2.5   m in height, was interrupted by police before its completion, but some activists glued themselves to it and formed a human chain around it to prevent removal. At 4   p.m., after issuing of

4407-469: The Conservative Party conference that Phase 2 would be abandoned. The cancellation left a new high-speed track from London to Handsacre , northeast of Birmingham, with a branch to central Birmingham. The construction of Euston station would depend on private sector funding: if funding were to be secured for the station access tunnel, construction would be the responsibility of HS2 Ltd. Euston station

4520-407: The Government was reportedly prepared to pay the upfront tunnelling cost of around £1bn to avoid further costly delays to the project. It would then recoup costs from the wider development of the Euston station site. The Northolt tunnels are being constructed with four TBMs; two tunnelling West to East and two tunnelling East to West, with the plan to meet in the middle. TBM Sushila and Caroline ,

4633-711: The HS2 eastern leg. The London to Sheffield service will remain on the Midland Main Line, equalling the proposed original HS2 journey times. The integrated Rail Plan proposed a study to determine the best method for HS2 trains to reach Leeds. In June 2022, the Golborne spur was removed from the Crewe-to-Manchester Parliamentary Bill. Without this link, trains to Scotland would join the existing West Coast Main Line further south at Crewe, instead of south of Wigan . The Department of Transport stated that

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4746-482: The Impossible Rebellion's largest turnout to date, with several thousand participants. Around 500 people, according to Sky News , attended a Saturday march beginning at Smithfield Market to oppose meat consumption, including for its impact on climate change , and the breeding of animals specifically for animal testing. The offices of Unilever and Cargill were protested outside, due to Unilever's dairy and palm oil usage and Cargill's meat processing. A sit-in outside

4859-472: The Impossible Rebellion, which ran from 23 August 2021 to 4 September 2021, the movement also demanded that the government cease new fossil fuel investments. The fortnight-long Impossible Rebellion was the fifth major set of XR protests, following its 10-day September 2020 Autumn Rebellion. The protests came in the wake of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report , which found that a tipping point in

4972-526: The Midland Main Line to serve the existing stations at Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, and Sheffield. HS2 trains would serve the centres of Nottingham and Derby, unlike in the previous proposal. Upgrades to the East Coast Main Line were proposed to offer time improvements on the London to Leeds and Newcastle routes. Services from Birmingham to Leeds and Newcastle were planned to use the remaining section of

5085-465: The NCCL "had become an enthusiastic supporter of detention without trial". Harold Nicolson and 38 others resigned from the NCCL over the issue. In 1989, NCCL rebranded as "Liberty". During this period, the organisation was headed by Andrew Puddephatt and John Wadham. On 10 September 2001, Shami Chakrabarti joined Liberty. After working as in-house counsel, she was appointed director of Liberty in 2003. As director, she began campaigning against what

5198-588: The National Exhibition Centre. North of the station west of Coleshill there will be a complex triangular branch junction, with six tracks at one section, will link the HS2 Birmingham city centre spur with the main spine. The spine continues north from the branch to the northerly limit of the high speed track which is a connection onto the WCML at Handsacre. The Birmingham city centre spur will be routed along

5311-753: The Phase 2b route, was introduced in July 2017. Phase 2a received royal assent in February 2021. The High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill for Phase 2b was paused under the Sunak ministry . One of the stated aims of the project is to increase the capacity of the railway network. It is envisaged that the introduction of HS2 will free up space on existing railway lines by removing a number of express services, thus allowing additional local train services to accommodate increased passenger numbers. Network Rail considers that constructing

5424-478: The UK. In autumn 2019, the organisation set up Liberty Investigates , an editorially independent journalism unit. Its initial focus was on how the coronavirus pandemic affects Human Rights in the UK. The immediate spur to the organisation's formation was the National Hunger March 1932 . The first Secretary was Ronald Kidd , and first President was the novelist E. M. Forster ; vice-presidents were

5537-539: The United Kingdom with the opening of the first part of High Speed 1 (HS1), then known as the 67-mile-long (108 km) Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and the Channel Tunnel . In 2009, the Department for Transport (DfT) under the Labour government proposed to assess the case for a second high-speed line, which was to be developed by a new company, High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd). In December 2010, following

5650-510: The WCML outside the village of Handsacre north of Lichfield in Staffordshire . There will be a branch to a new station at Birmingham Curzon Street . There will also be new stations at Old Oak Common , in northwest London, and Birmingham Interchange , near Solihull . The section between Old Oak Common and the West Midlands is scheduled to open around 2030, with the link to Euston following between 2031 and 2035. The high speed track, including

5763-579: The WWF as evicting and persecuting them. The occupations continued overnight. The following day, an anti- greenwashing demonstration at Parliament Square drew several hundred participants, and eight women activists broke panes of glass at JPMorgan Chase offices, while a heavy police presence deterred "swarm" protests elsewhere in London. On Thursday, a protest at the Bank of England was joined by members of XR who said that they were breaking bail conditions by entering

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5876-743: The West Coast Main Line. The route to the north begins at Euston station in London, entering a twin-bore tunnel near the Mornington Street Bridge at the station's throat. After continuing through to the Old Oak Common station, trains proceed through a second, 8-mile (13 km) tunnel, emerging at its northwestern portal. The line crosses the Colne Valley Regional Park on the Colne Valley Viaduct and then enters

5989-536: The West Midlands , held talks to "revive the high speed rail project with private investment" after meeting private investors, Mark Harper ( Secretary of State for Transport ), and Huw Merriman ( Minister of State for Rail and HS2 ). Harper said that he was considering the plans with an "open mind". Burnham told the Transport Select Committee of the House of Commons that the gist of the plans were to revive

6102-451: The adjacent Euston Square tube station , which serves the Circle , Hammersmith & City , and Metropolitan lines. The government announced that this aspect of the project would only commence if the private sector were to agree funding. Old Oak Common station, between Paddington and Acton Main Line station, is under construction and scheduled to be completed before Euston. It will be

6215-497: The area and lay in the middle of the road. Animal Rebellion said that the building processes 10% of the UK's milk supply; they demanded that Arla switch to plant-based foods by 2025. Also on Tuesday, around a dozen activists associated with XR Youth Solidarity and WTF WWF occupied the headquarters of the conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in protest against its actions towards indigenous communities in Africa who describe

6328-434: The area of protests criticised that Impossible Rebellion could impact their income. Architects' Journal reported that a number of architects attended the protest, including those from the sustainability group within Child Graddon Lewis, while an Architects Climate Action Network initiative implemented by companies like Studio Bark gave staff paid leave to protest if they chose. Julian Jessop of The Daily Telegraph opposed

6441-530: The branch to Birmingham, is 225 kilometres (140 mi) long. It is flanked by the WCML and the Chiltern Line . Upon opening, HS2 and West Coast Main Line compatible trains will operate from London, reaching Birmingham in 49 minutes and Birmingham Interchange in 38 minutes. Trains will journey to other destinations on a mix of HS2 and conventional track. Journeys to Liverpool will take 1 hour 50 minutes, to Glasgow 4 hours, and to Manchester 1 hour 40 minutes. Trains will progress on HS2 track to Handsacre, then use

6554-440: The buses do not run in her area. The Independent ' s Niko Vorobyov argued that accusations of hypocrisy are "a lazy way to delegitimise the movement without addressing its actual concerns", as it is "very difficult to live in the modern world" without having a negative environmental impact and because the majority of carbon emissions (71%) come from 100 companies. James Dyke of i believed that "profound feelings of love"

6667-456: The campaign had seen the release of around 2,000 inmates, the abolition of the Mental Deficiency Act 1913 , and the establishment of new Mental Health Review Tribunals which culminated in the Mental Health Act 1959 . Since 2016, Liberty's work has been dominated by a High Court challenge to the Investigatory Powers Act , as well as campaigning against the so-called ' hostile environment ' policies which allow indefinite immigration detention in

6780-457: The cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow on a mix of new high-speed track and the existing West Coast Main Line. Purpose-built trains will be capable of operating on new and existing tracks. High Speed 2 is to share a southern terminus with the West Coast Main Line at London Euston. Euston is to be remodelled to integrate the new HS2 platforms and concourse with the current conventional rail station. There will be an improved connection to

6893-474: The climate system may have already been exceeded by carbon dioxide emissions. A co-founder stated that XR experienced increasing donations following the report's publishing, and that they raised over £100,000 in 24 hours shortly before the beginning of the Impossible Rebellion. Extinction Rebellion use nonviolent civil disobedience such as marches, protests, disruption to public transport and people deliberately being arrested, to achieve their goals. According to

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7006-406: The construction of Phase 1 is worth roughly £6.6   billion, with preparation including over 8,000 boreholes for ground investigation. In October 2018, demolition began on the former carriage sheds at Euston station . This will allow the start of construction at the throat of the station at Mornington Street Bridge, and twin-bore 8-mile (13 km) tunnels to West Ruislip . In January 2019,

7119-468: The country, under the title Network North . The locations of these projects would range from southern Scotland to Plymouth . Money would be distributed in the North, Midlands and South of England according to where the reduction of costs (not benefits) will lie. Around 30 per cent of the cost savings would be spent on railway projects. After it was found that the list of projects included schemes that had already been built or were swiftly deleted, Sunak said

7232-452: The entrance to HM Revenue and Customs in protest at their connections to Barclays and its fossil fuel involvement. An Oxford Street protest targeted Selfridges , due to the environmental cost of the fashion industry. Elsewhere in the city, a van bearing a protester with a " stop HS2 " flag was parked and activists locked themselves onto it. A dispersal order went into place at 6:15   p.m. and an overnight protest by Animal Rebellion ,

7345-456: The existing Birmingham International railway station . The AirRail Link people-mover already operates between Birmingham International station and the airport. In addition, there is a proposal to extend the West Midlands Metro to serve the station. In 2010, Birmingham Airport's chief executive, Paul Kehoe, stated that HS2 is a key element in increasing the number of flights using the airport, with added patronage by inhabitants of London and

7458-438: The fashion and fast food industry. Some days of protest have been themed around highlighting women and indigenous voices. Sister groups involved in protests include Animal Rebellion and Money Rebellion. Extinction Rebellion (XR) are a climate justice movement with three major demands to the UK government: declare a climate emergency; achieve carbon neutrality by 2025; and create a citizens' assembly on climate change. For

7571-463: The financial district of the City of London, including Etienne Stott. With the sister group HS2 Rebellion, two activists scaled the insurance company Marsh 's offices, in opposition to their insurance of HS2 subcontractors. An employee for Marsh came out to speak to demonstrators. A Friday die-in at JPMorgan Chase headquarters was attended by 60 doctors and medical professionals, under the organisation of Doctors for Extinction Rebellion. While "code red"

7684-430: The first two of the four TBMs to be used, were launched from the West Ruislip portal in October 2022. The third launched in February 2024 and the fourth followed in April 2024, with the all the tunnels planned to be finished in 2025. The 10-mile (16 km) Chiltern tunnels was scheduled to take three years to dig, using two 2,000-tonne (2,000-long-ton; 2,200-short-ton) tunnel boring machines (TBM). In July 2020, work

7797-454: The forces. This broader range of campaigning resulted in a large rise in membership and a higher profile in the media. It campaigned for the retaining of the public right to petition the ECHR, its General Secretary Martin Loney writing to the Prime Minister, Edward Heath . However, Loney was controversially sacked by the executive of the NCCL led by its chair, Henry Hodge . Opposition to racial discrimination After 1960, NCCL responded to

7910-446: The formations of the group, citing "the general and alarming tendency to encroachment on the liberty of the citizen " as the reason for its establishment. The first campaign was against the criminalisation of pacifist or anti-war literature. Under the proposed Incitement to Disaffection Bill, commonly known as the 'Sedition Bill', it would have been a criminal offence to possess pacifist literature, for example anti-war pamphlets. Although

8023-464: The fossil fuel company Royal Dutch Shell for an exhibit that was running at the time, Our Future Planet. The museum said that they had "facilitated a peaceful protest   ... ensuring the health and safety of everyone in the building". A blockade took place outside, by the adjacent Natural History Museum . A conservation scientist member of Scientists for Extinction Rebellion commented that Shell's sponsorship "allows them to paint themselves as part of

8136-482: The government postponed works on Euston station, saying that this was necessary to "manage inflationary pressures and work on an affordable design for the station". Delivery of services between Birmingham and Old Oak Common would instead be prioritised, with the Elizabeth line providing passenger transfer between Old Oak Common and central London until at least 2035, the earliest time at which Euston would be available under

8249-505: The government was considering the recommendations of the Union Connectivity Review, which gave alternatives such as a more northerly HS2 connection to the West Coast Main Line than Golborne and upgrades to the West Coast Main Line from Crewe to Preston . The Department of Transport will publish its response subject to the funding allocated in the integrated Rail Plan. In October 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced at

8362-583: The legal officer from 1978 to 1982, Jack Dromey , later her husband, was a member (1970–79) and chairman of the executive committee, and Diane Abbott was employed as Race Relations Officer (1978–80). Paedophilia In 1976, the NCCL in a submission to the Criminal Law Revision Committee of the British Parliament argued that "Childhood sexual experiences, willingly engaged in, with an adult result in no identifiable damage… The real need

8475-403: The legislative process would be achieved through two hybrid bills . The High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 , authorising the construction of Phase 1, passed both Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent in February 2017. A Phase 2a High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill , seeking the power to construct Phase 2 as far as Crewe and to make decisions on the remainder of

8588-416: The list was intended to provide illustrative examples. In January 2024, opposition leader Keir Starmer said it would not be possible for any future Labour government to reinstate Phase 2, since contracts would have been cancelled. This was confirmed in April 2024 by Louise Haigh , the shadow transport minister. In January 2024, Andy Burnham , Mayor of Greater Manchester , and Andy Street , Mayor of

8701-519: The mayors concluded in March 2024 that the best option would be a new line between Handsacre and Manchester Airport , to meet Northern Powerhouse Rail. The cost could be covered by a combination of government funding and private finance. HS2 parallels the West Coast Main Line (WCML), merging with the WCML at Handsacre. The line will be between Euston railway station in London and a junction with

8814-562: The new plans. The Colne Valley Viaduct is a 2.1-mile (3.4 km)-long bridge to carry the line over the Colne Valley Regional Park in Hillingdon , West London. The viaduct is situated between the Northolt and Chiltern tunnels. The bridge-building machine was launched in May 2022, signalling the start of construction. The final deck segment was put into place in September 2024. The viaduct

8927-567: The pair's tenure at Liberty breached the European Convention on Human Rights . Detention without charge During the Gulf War , Liberty successfully campaigned for the release of over 100 Iraqi nationals – some of whom were openly opposed to Saddam Hussein – detained without charge in Britain on the grounds that they posed a risk to national security . Miscarriage of justice Throughout

9040-587: The part of Phase 2 between Handsacre and High Legh in Cheshire; trains would then proceed on Northern Powerhouse Rail to Manchester Piccadilly . Burnham said the cost could be "considerably less" than earlier plans if the maximum speed of trains was reduced. The Phase 2b Bill remains in the House of Commons but the Committee paused its work after the October 2023 announcement. A provisional report commissioned by

9153-513: The police as quickly disrupting protests, focusing on dispersing musicians first to dampen the atmosphere or surrounding installations so that removal teams could operate. An XR police liaison suggested that police aimed to minimise the opportunity for the public to see the protests and beginning interacting with them, and said that activists were injured by the speedy and forceful interventions. The Guardian and XR spokespeople described an increase in police violence on 31 August 2021 in response to

9266-700: The policing of demonstrations such as those against the Vietnam War . Support for reluctant servicemen NCCL also campaigned to raise awareness of the difficulty faced by 'reluctant servicemen' – men in the armed forces who had often signed up as teenagers then realised they'd made a mistake but were prevented from discharging themselves for anything up to 16 years. Northern Ireland In 1972 NCCL campaigned for civil rights in Northern Ireland . Data protection In 1975 NCCL bought 3 million credit rating files from Konfax Ltd after they were offered for sale in

9379-608: The politician and author A. P. Herbert and the journalist Kingsley Martin of the New Statesman . H. G. Wells , Lewis Clive , Vera Brittain , Clement Attlee , Rebecca West , Edith Summerskill and Harold Laski were also founder members. The National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) was founded in 1934. The inaugural meeting took place in the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London on 22 February. A letter published in The Times and The Guardian newspapers announced

9492-612: The post at the end of May. Since 2016, Liberty's work has been dominated by taking a High Court challenge to the Investigatory Powers Act , and campaigning against the so-called ' hostile environment ' policies and for an end to the use of indefinite immigration detention in the UK. In autumn 2019, the organisation set up Liberty Investigates , an editorially independent journalism unit that sits within Liberty. The unit formally launched in April 2020 with an initial focus on how

9605-538: The pressure group saw as the "excessive" anti-terrorist measures that followed the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, such as the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCSA). Liberty became increasingly high-profile, with Chakrabarti making regular appearances in the media. She was described in The Times newspaper as "the most effective public affairs lobbyist of the past 20 years". Since

9718-467: The pressure group. Prominent pro-paedophile activist Tom O'Carroll also sat on the NCCL's sub-committee for gay rights. Shami Chakrabarti , the former director of Liberty, issued an apology about the links between the NCCL and the PIE. In December 2013, she said: "It is a source of continuing disgust and horror that even the NCCL had to expel paedophiles from its ranks in 1983 after infiltration at some point in

9831-602: The programme to be". This report was clarified to mean following the cancellation of Phase 2. On 18 November 2021, the government's delayed Integrated Rail Plan was published. The plan significantly affected parts of the HS2 programme, including curtailing much of the eastern leg. Under the original proposal for the eastern leg, the high-speed line would have been built with a link to the East Coast Main Line south of York for trains to continue to Newcastle. A branch would take trains into Leeds. There would also have been

9944-471: The project was progressively cut until only the London to Handsacre and Birmingham section remained. The project has both supporters and opponents . Supporters of HS2 believe that the additional capacity provided will accommodate passenger numbers rising to pre- COVID-19 levels while driving a further modal shift to rail. Opponents believe that the project is neither environmentally nor financially sustainable. In 2003, modern high-speed rail arrived in

10057-447: The protests were "more urgent than ever". By Wednesday, the BBC reported that turnout was in excess of 10,000. 367 activists were arrested during the first week of the protests. By Wednesday of the second week, the figure stood at 480; police had removed around 80 protesters glued to structures and 50 locked onto them. The day before official protests began, three demonstrators sprayed paint at

10170-814: The protests, XR sent a letter to the Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick inquiring how the police would act in light of the ruling. The Guardian reported that tactics of both protesters and police changed for the Impossible Rebellion. XR aimed to create short-term protests in different highly visited areas of London, rather than controlling a small number of sites. Telegram communications announced protest locations to activists each morning, depriving police of advanced notice. Meanwhile, police learned that blocking access to protests only increased disruption, and tried to surround protest infrastructure and then physically remove protesters. The newspaper described protests as smaller than previous XR rebellions, and

10283-472: The protests, including hitting protesters with batons, holding them in headlocks while punching them and shattering glass nearby to people. A politician for the Green Party of England and Wales , Caroline Russell , said that she had seen videos of "completely unacceptable" police behaviour during the protests. The human rights advocacy group Liberty expressed concerns that police used live facial recognition at

10396-402: The protests, saying that voting was the "legitimate means" to enact change, that "disruption to the lives of ordinary Londoners risks undermining any public support" for climate change mitigation . Jessop opposed XR's aims, saying that "an immediate halt to fossil fuel investment would do far more harm than good" and that "the environment is safest in the hands of capitalist economies". Writing in

10509-451: The protests, which the police denied. At the Impossible Rebellion, the first week—themed "crisis talks"—was intended to target busy areas of London, for protesters to occupy and talk to the general public. In the second week, disrupting the financial industry in the City of London was the focus. The Olympic sailor Laura Baldwin was a spokesperson for the group, while the actor Jerome Flynn said

10622-593: The rail network—was still valid, and that no "shovel-ready" interventions existed that could be deployed within the timeframe of the project. As a consequence, Oakervee recommended that the project go ahead as planned, subject to a series of further recommendations. After concluding that the project should proceed, the review recommended a further review of HS2 that would be undertaken by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and would concentrate on reducing costs and over-specification. On 15 April 2020, formal approval

10735-496: The release of around 2,000 former inmates, the abolition of the Mental Health Act 1913 and the establishment of new Mental Health Review Tribunals and the Mental Health Act 1959 . In the 1960s the organisation broadened its scope, particularly from 1966 under new general secretary Tony Smythe . It campaigned on racial issues, on behalf of gypsies, children, prisoners and servicemen who had changed their decision about joining

10848-463: The route from London to Birmingham. The Euston tunnel will take passengers from Euston station to Old Oak Common station . The Northolt tunnel will cover the area between Old Oak Common and the Colne Valley Viaduct in West Ruislip. The Chiltern tunnel will be the longest tunnel on the route and will travel 10 miles (16 km) underneath the Chiltern Hills . The Long Itchington Wood tunnel

10961-436: The same publication, Ross Clark criticised XR co-founder Gail Bradbrook for driving a diesel car, saying that she was a "prize hypocrite" and that "it isn't alright [for her] to drive a diesel car, nor indeed any car" while demanding net zero carbon emissions by 2025 and engaging in protests that cause road closures. Bradbrook said that she participated in ridesharing but could not take her children to sports events on Sundays as

11074-672: The second bore in November 2022, and finished it in March 2023. The Bromford tunnels from Water Orton in North Warwickshire to Birmingham are being bored by TBMs Mary Ann and Elizabeth. Mary Ann started tunnelling in June 2023 and will finish in 2024, while Elizabeth started in March 2024 and will finish in Autumn 2025. The main stages of construction officially began on 4 September 2020, following previous delays. The civil engineering aspect of

11187-435: The solution to climate change, whereas they are, of course, at the heart of the problem". Police denied protesters's accusations of kettling . Access to Tower Bridge was prevented by protesters with a caravan on Monday. Those sat on the caravan held a pink sign with a heart symbol. This followed a larger protest by XR in the area. The police used batons and physical force to remove activists. The following day, London Bridge

11300-468: The speed of trains and their frequency, and general cost-cutting predominately affecting Phase 2b, would be assessed. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee , in a January 2024 report, in relation to the revised planned route, stated that: "HS2 now offers very poor value for money to the taxpayer, and the Department [for Transport] and HS2 Ltd do not yet know what it expects the final benefits of

11413-467: The temporary London terminus of HS2 until Euston is completed. There will be connections with the Elizabeth Line , Heathrow Express to Heathrow Airport , and the Great Western Main Line to Reading , South West England , and South Wales . Old Oak Common railway station will also be connected, via out of station interchanges , with London Overground stations at Old Oak Common Lane on

11526-537: The tightening of immigration laws and a rise in race-hate incidents by lobbying for the Race Relations Act , which came into force in 1965. NCCL also published pamphlets exposing the effective 'colour bar', whereby black and Asian people were refused service in certain pubs and hotels. Following Conservative MP Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech in 1968 the NCCL set about organising an emergency "Speak out on Race" meeting and also presented an NCCL petition to

11639-503: The tunnels for agriculture. After passing west of Aylesbury , the route will pass through the corridor of the former Great Central Main Line , joining the alignment north of Quainton Road to travel through rural Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire up to Mixbury , south of Brackley , from where it will cross the A43 and open countryside through South Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, passing immediately south of Southam . After progressing through

11752-508: The wider community. Liberty also aims to engender a "rights culture" within British society. The NCCL was founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith (later Scaffardi), motivated by their humanist convictions. During the 1950s, the NCCL campaigned for reform of the mental health system, under which people known to be sane but deemed 'morally defective' – unmarried mothers, for example – could be locked up in an asylum. By 1957,

11865-459: Was blocked with a bus in a protest that Olympic canoeist Etienne Stott joined; he was carried away by police officers after refusing to move. Beginning at Parliament Square and ending at Downing Street , demonstrators held prop prams with messages opposing the UK government's environmental policies, while XR Families met at St Paul's Cathedral and demonstrators outside the Bank of England highlighted

11978-410: Was chaired by Douglas Oakervee , a British civil engineer , who had been HS2's non-executive chairman for nearly two years. The review was published by the DfT on 11 February 2020, alongside a statement from the Prime Minister confirming that HS2 would go ahead in full, with reservations. Oakervee's conclusions were that the original rationale for High Speed 2—to provide capacity and reliability on

12091-400: Was completed on a 17-metre (56 ft)-high headwall at the southern portal of the twin-bore tunnel. The tunnels are lined with concrete that is cast in sections at a purpose-built facility at the southern portal; the first sections were cast in March 2021. Tunnelling began in May 2021, with TBM Florence , moving at a speed of up to 15 m (49 ft) per day. The second TBM, Cecilia ,

12204-546: Was first announced in 2013. It was originally to split into eastern and western branches north of Birmingham Interchange; the eastern branch would have connected to the Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line , with a branch to a terminus in Leeds , and the western branch would have had connections to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe and south of Wigan, and a branch to a terminus in Manchester . Between November 2021 and October 2023

12317-484: Was flawed. NCCL found a witness who confirmed the men's alibi and they were released from prison and granted a royal pardon . Reform of the Mental Health System During the 1950s NCCL campaigned for reform of the mental health system, under which people known to be sane but deemed 'morally defective' – unmarried mothers, for example – could be locked up in an asylum. By 1957, the campaign had seen

12430-594: Was given to construction companies to start work on the project. In July 2023 the Infrastructure Projects Authority annual report gave Phases 1 and 2A project a "red" rating , meaning "Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable. There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed." Measures such as reducing

12543-410: Was initially proposed to have 11 platforms to accommodate HS2 trains. There is a reduction to six platforms, as a proposal from October 2023 will cap the throughput to 9–11 trains per hour, rather than the 18 of which the HS2 track would otherwise be capable. Sunak said the £36 billion saved by not building the northern leg of HS2 would instead be spent on roads, buses, and railways in every region of

12656-419: Was launched in July 2021. Florence, the first of two TBMs, completed tunnelling and broke through in late February 2024, and in March 2024, the second TBM, Cecilia, completed tunnelling. In December 2021, TBM Dorothy was launched, tunnelling under Long Itchington Wood. It completed the first bore in July 2022, and was returned to its initial position to complete the second, parallel bore. Dorothy started

12769-448: Was sprayed on the building, a letter was delivered to CEO Jamie Dimon urging the investment bank to divest from fossil fuels, move away from an emission intensity target to an absolute target and make pledges in line with a 2021 International Energy Agency report. The group quoted a report by Rainforest Action Network describing JPMorgan's actions as "flatly insufficient". According to The Daily Telegraph , some business owners in

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