Haringey Tree Protectors hold mourning procession with Red Rebels

Performance artivist troupe Red Rebels led a procession to the 'hairy' oak tree in Parkland Walk on Sunday (February 5) which may be destroyed to make way for a ramp.

The mourning procession was organised by Haringey Tree Protectors ahead of projected tree felling in the designated nature reserve this month.

Red Rebels lead the procession along Parkland Walk where dozens of trees will be destroyed to undertake bridge repairs (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

The Parkland Walk follows the course of a railway line that used to run between Alexandra Palace and Finsbury Park.

Haringey Council is undertaking replacement works for the Stanhope Road bridge, part of an eight-year project to renovate or renew the seven Parkland Walk bridges it maintains.

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Campaigners have identified more than 10 to be felled at Stanhope and ten at Mount Pleasant Villas, as well as trees and vegetation at three other bridges in Parkland Walk.

Giovanna Iozzi, co-chair of HTP, thanked the assembled crowd for coming: "Here is the hairy tree that has become a symbol for our campaign which began two years ago during Covid".

She explained how the council employed tree surgeons who were left "completely unsupervised" and "wreaked havoc". 

Haringey Tree Protectors in front of the Hairy Oak tree which will be destroyed to make way for bridge repairs at Stanhope Road (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

"They felled many more trees that they were supposed to fell," she added. 

"We campaigned for many months to try to get the council to rethink their strategy here and build a green bridge.

"We understood it had to be rebuilt but asked why it had to be such a concrete urban bridge on what is a designated nature reserve.

"We're here today to mourn the trees and hoping the council is listening and that they're slowly changing their mentality, we hope, towards a more ecological viewpoint in a biodiversity and climate crisis."

John Sinha, HTP member from Crouch End, said he had been coming to the walk since the 1970s and it was now "a victim of its own success".

"In those days it was a bit of a wasteland, very few people wanted to come here because they were scared," he added.

"People used to throw their junk in here but it's changed a lot in 20 years.

"People really care for this space. I think the plan is to tarmac it and that's a bad idea.

"Cyclists will be able to go faster, at the moment the gravel and stones slow them down."

Spinderella standing behind a blue line marking out all the trees, shrubs and plants that will be destroyed in front of it in Parkland Walk (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

Spinderella said the plan was "absurd". "If trees gave us wifi we wouldn't be killing them but they don't give us wifi, there's no monetary value to them just sitting there.

"A tree cutter is just looking at what profit they can make."

Anita Chandler said the path had changed "beyond recognition". 
"I'm a member of many wildlife trusts and all the nature reserves I go to you are not allowed to jog, you are not allowed to cycle. Around 50 joggers passed me in the space of five minutes.

"The council has forgotten the primary function of the parkland. They are good at putting people first with the school streets and dedicated cycle lanes but in a designated nature area they should stick to that." 

HTP member Keith McKenna said he had "mixed emotions".

"All the time we spent on it and the council still doesn't understand the basic reasons why we should be protecting trees."

Sarah Montgomery, also of HTP, said: "The Red Rebels are very eye catching and very powerful and they create an atmosphere of mourning and grief which is what we were feeling about this today.

"As HTP we feel we're campaigning on so many different issues across the borough and we just need a bigger win.

"We're on the council's radar. They're not going to get away with things like they have done in the past. 

"We've got to keep on top of it, not give up. The council talks about the work they need to do but very little about the climate emergency.

"This isn't just about the area will look horrible without trees, it's about the role and value of trees on the Parkland Walk."

Rich Mason with Irina Bolychevsky and eight-month-old Euan who walk in Parkland Walk 'nearly every day' (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

Cllr Mike Hakata, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate action, environment and transport previously told the Ham&High:

“We have listened to genuine concerns and feedback, and I’m really pleased that now we will be removing far fewer trees to prepare the nature reserve for this essential engineering and bridge replacement work. 

"We will be carefully monitoring the on-site works to ensure the sensitive removal of the trees. 

"We are incredibly proud of Parkland Walk, which contributes so much to the biodiversity in our borough while also giving residents access to one of London’s finest nature reserves.”