Lewes MP responds to Extinction Rebellion protest outside her office

The MP, who described herself as a ‘passionate campaigner against climate change’, said she was disappointed that XR Lewes chose to protest on Saturday, June 27, ‘as campaigners knew she would not be at the office’.

“I am keen to engage and talk to all those with concerns but the way to do it is to sit down and have a conversation with me on these vital issues,” said Mrs Caulfield.

“Instead I had tearful complaints from residents and local businesses that the disabled parking bays were blocked by the protestors meaning residents with a disability could not get to the parade of shops.

“Since the protest I have met virtually with members of XR Lewes and we have agreed to work on issues that will make a big difference locally to reducing our carbon footprint.”

She said that on the A27, she has made clear her ‘commitment to ensuring the current road becomes a dual carriageway’, adding: “We desperately need to make the road safer and less congested and reduce the ever growing number of fatalities on the stretch between Lewes and Polegate.”

XR campaigners, who were joined by the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment (SCATE), carried pieces of oak trees to highlight the demolition of 108 ancient woodlands and the associated biodiversity as part of the HS2 railway project.

The protest was timed to coincide with a national march from Birmingham to London by Extinction Rebellion.

Dinah Morgan, organiser and XR member, said: “Our precious trees – many of them oak – are being chopped down to make way for HS2.

“These are ancient woodlands – once they are gone, we can never get them back. And here on our doorstep we have our own version in the proposed new A27 - a project that, like HS2, will be devastating to our countryside and wildlife, polluting, unaffordable and pointless.”

Protestors stood together outside Mrs Caulfield’s office with a model of a felled oak tree and its ‘evicted animal population’.

Two young boys had made bees and butterflies to accompany the ‘now homeless owls, badgers, woodpeckers, bats and other creatures’.

‘Save our Countryside,’ ‘STOP HS2’and ‘NO NEW A27’ were the messages displayed on the placards.

Protesters read out loud letters to Mrs Caulfield about their concerns over the climate emergency and the need to take action now.

They posted their letters and piled up their oaken walking sticks at the MP’s door as a symbol of the chopped down heritage trees.

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