Public pressure's finally made EDF Energy see sense over No Dash For Gas

Neil Kingsnorth

13 March 2013

Well, it took over 64,000 petition signatures, a tonne of messages on EDF Energy's Facebook page and letters in local papers across the country. Not to mention a special web site created to help people switch their electricity from EDF to another provider, and criticism from businesses and commentators.

But eventually the energy firm EDF has seen sense, backed down and withdrawn its ill-thought-through threat to sue 21 protesters from No Dash For Gas for around £5 million. About time.

By climbing and staying on chimneys on an EDF Energy gas power station, the activists from No Dash For Gas put themselves at significant risk to tackle head on the threat of climate change.

But in planning their action they went to great lengths to avoid putting other people at risk. Climate change is already devastating the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the globe. And the Government's dash for gas isn't helping - we need to get off polluting fossil fuels, and fast.

No amount of spin to save face can get away from the fact that EDF has withdrawn its lawsuit due to massive public pressure. It really does show that when we come together and take action to challenge injustice, real change can be made to happen.

As I wrote recently, Friends of the Earth criticised EDF's lawsuit from the word go. We've been working with those facing this legal threat and others since. To us, EDF's legal action presented a much wider and longer term threat to the right to peaceful protest, which all of us need to protect.

If you took action with us, thank you. You've just had a victory.

But this legal threat should never have been made and it deserved the condemnation it got. Corporations have an obligation to act responsibly, and that includes not acting in ways that could stifle the hugely important right to protest.

And to be honest, we've got better things to do.

The 21 protesters have always accepted that they will face consequences in the criminal courts for their action. They will be sentenced on 20 March and supporters of No Dash For Gas have organised a peaceful vigil in London to show support for them. If you'd like to go along, details of it are on Facebook.

Neil Kingsnorth is Head of Activism