The ability to protest peacefully is a fundamental human right which lies at the very heart of our  democracy.

Yet a landmark legal case being brought by a French energy company against 21 British activists poses a direct threat to this right.

In seeking more than £5m in damages from the group of activists who occupied the West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire last year, EDF is actively trying to stop all such actions in the future.

Rather than be honest about its contribution to environmental destruction and climate change, and act for the public good by showing readiness to make a transition to green energy sources, EDF would rather silence its critics and protect its profits.

Graeme Bellingham, the director of the EDF subsidiary supervising the power plant's construction, puts the cost of the occupation at more than £5m.

If the courts cave in to pressure from EDF, then there is a very real chance that the activists from "No Dash For Gas" will be expected to meet those vast costs.

EDF claims it supports the right to "lawful protest", but it knows as well as anyone that no activist could afford such a bill – making this a move designed purely to prohibit such protests from happening at all.

But this is not just about EDF and the “No Dash for Gas” activists, or even just the environmental movement.

This punitive measure would have devastating consequences for anyone who wished to take a stand against injustice and corruption or speak out for what is right.

As John Sauven has said, "this lawsuit represents the opening of a new front against peaceful protest”.

We must fight this assault on the right to protest tooth and nail.

And, in light of the allegations of complicity of officers in the efforts by EDF to stop the protests, we also need to ask questions about just whose interest the police are serving.

Our police force is there to uphold the law and protect the public, not to defend the interests of private companies and their shareholders.