600 march against Greenwich to Newham Silvertown Tunnel

The campaign to stop the £2.2 billion project, led by opposition group Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition, is still raging on despite the controversial tunnel being given the green light.

In 2019, TfL announced the awarding of a £1 billion contract to design, build and maintain the tunnel, but the project has been a long-standing point of controversy, with a number of protests and large political support for scrapping it all.

And in protest again the tunnel, on Saturday, June 5, around 600 protestors marched through Newham where the tunnel will travel from to connect with the Greenwich Peninsula.

Protestors marching against the SIlvertown Tunnel project, which will link Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

A samba band lead music opposition to the mammoth project, with chants of 'hey Mayor, we want clean air."

Protestors marching against the SIlvertown Tunnel project, which will link Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

Protestors marching against the SIlvertown Tunnel project, which will link Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

Large banners were also spotted from trade unions, Labour and Green party branches and local protestors, whilst postcards were also given out.

The large group of protestors marched through a housing estate in Newham, and stopped for a photo outside a site where preparatory construction work for the tunnel is underway.

Protestors marching against the SIlvertown Tunnel project, which will link Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

The Stop Silvertown Tunnel Coalition proceeded to hold a rally outside the Crystal building at the Royal Docks, earmarked as the new headquarters of the Greater London Authority who are responsible for the project.

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Rokhsana Fiaz, the mayor of Newham, started the rally, promising to support the campaign to get the project cancelled.

Protestors marching against the SIlvertown Tunnel project, which will link Greenwich and the Royal Docks.

Destiny Boka Batesa of Choked Up, an organisation of black and brown teenagers campaigning for clean air, was next, with other speakers including the Extinction Rebellion Banshees, Niall Mulholland from Newham Trades Union Council and many others.

Political support came from Sian Berry, joint leader of the Green party; Zack Polanski, Green party London Assembly member; Newham Labour councillor Suga Thekkeppurayil; Zain Mir, deputy chair of West Ham Constituency Labour Party; and Joshua Williams of the Young Greens and Victoria Rance of the Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition.

STEVE EASON

Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter Ella died in 2013 due to air pollution poisoning at her home near the South Circular road, sent a message of support to the rally, which said: “The Silvertown Tunnel means even more people will be impacted air pollution.

"The children of Greenwich have suffered enough and deserve a better quality of life. All parents living in the borough must get involved, it affects everyone.

"Ella’s death tells us we must never create more toxic air, but less. Building roads always means more traffic, and not less. Please continue to fight for the sake of your children’s health.”