03:57Dozens of protesters gathered outside the London's High Court ahead of the trial against BHP on Monday aimed to hold the company accountable for the Mariana Dam collapse in 2015.
Footage shows protesters chanting, shaking maracas as well as holding bottles with dirty water from the Doce River and banners reading 'These are the victims of the Mariana Dam disaster. Will they get justice?' and 'BHP claimed more than a million victims in Brazil. And wants to compensate with crumbs.'
"…Now there are millions of people in Minas Gerais and the Espirito Santo States of Brazil that are affected. Their health, their economy, their employment, everything is lost and the river is really polluted, as you can see in this bottle. This water represents the water of the Doce River in Brazil. This is the water that the people drink every day," said one of the protesters Olivia Santiago.
She also stressed that the claimants demand BHP to be held 'responsible for this crime' as well as 'reparations' for everyone in the Rio Doce River area and the Espirito Santo.
One of the plaintiffs' lawyer,Tom Goodhead, described the trial as 'monumental,' adding that clients have a 'huge amount of faith' in the English legal system following a 'seven-year battle'.
"So justice from this trial would be to hold them liable. BHP have denied the throughout the entirety of this despite the fact that they on the one hand say we have paid billions in Brazil already and yet on the other hand, they say 'We are not liable.' And at the same time, they try to say that with a straight face," the lawyer added.
According to media reports, over 620,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments and approximately 2,000 businesses pressed charges against the world's biggest miner BHP to demand a 36 billion pounds (47 billion dollars) payout. The trial is scheduled to be held for 12 weeks started.
BHP rejected its liability, claiming that the lawsuit duplicated the previous legal proceedings and demanding its dismissal. Previously, approximately $8 billion was reportedly paid to affected people through the Renova Foundation as well as 1,7 billion dollars to claimants.
In 2015 the Mariana Dam owned by BHP collapsed, sending over 40 million cubic metres of toxins into the Doce River, affecting Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo States and killing at least 19 people.
'Monumental trial' - Protesters rally outside London court as lawsuit over BHP's role in 2015 Brazil dam collapse begins
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the London's High Court ahead of the trial against BHP on Monday aimed to hold the company accountable for the Mariana Dam collapse in 2015.
Footage shows protesters chanting, shaking maracas as well as holding bottles with dirty water from the Doce River and banners reading 'These are the victims of the Mariana Dam disaster. Will they get justice?' and 'BHP claimed more than a million victims in Brazil. And wants to compensate with crumbs.'
"…Now there are millions of people in Minas Gerais and the Espirito Santo States of Brazil that are affected. Their health, their economy, their employment, everything is lost and the river is really polluted, as you can see in this bottle. This water represents the water of the Doce River in Brazil. This is the water that the people drink every day," said one of the protesters Olivia Santiago.
She also stressed that the claimants demand BHP to be held 'responsible for this crime' as well as 'reparations' for everyone in the Rio Doce River area and the Espirito Santo.
One of the plaintiffs' lawyer,Tom Goodhead, described the trial as 'monumental,' adding that clients have a 'huge amount of faith' in the English legal system following a 'seven-year battle'.
"So justice from this trial would be to hold them liable. BHP have denied the throughout the entirety of this despite the fact that they on the one hand say we have paid billions in Brazil already and yet on the other hand, they say 'We are not liable.' And at the same time, they try to say that with a straight face," the lawyer added.
According to media reports, over 620,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments and approximately 2,000 businesses pressed charges against the world's biggest miner BHP to demand a 36 billion pounds (47 billion dollars) payout. The trial is scheduled to be held for 12 weeks started.
BHP rejected its liability, claiming that the lawsuit duplicated the previous legal proceedings and demanding its dismissal. Previously, approximately $8 billion was reportedly paid to affected people through the Renova Foundation as well as 1,7 billion dollars to claimants.
In 2015 the Mariana Dam owned by BHP collapsed, sending over 40 million cubic metres of toxins into the Doce River, affecting Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo States and killing at least 19 people.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the London's High Court ahead of the trial against BHP on Monday aimed to hold the company accountable for the Mariana Dam collapse in 2015.
Footage shows protesters chanting, shaking maracas as well as holding bottles with dirty water from the Doce River and banners reading 'These are the victims of the Mariana Dam disaster. Will they get justice?' and 'BHP claimed more than a million victims in Brazil. And wants to compensate with crumbs.'
"…Now there are millions of people in Minas Gerais and the Espirito Santo States of Brazil that are affected. Their health, their economy, their employment, everything is lost and the river is really polluted, as you can see in this bottle. This water represents the water of the Doce River in Brazil. This is the water that the people drink every day," said one of the protesters Olivia Santiago.
She also stressed that the claimants demand BHP to be held 'responsible for this crime' as well as 'reparations' for everyone in the Rio Doce River area and the Espirito Santo.
One of the plaintiffs' lawyer,Tom Goodhead, described the trial as 'monumental,' adding that clients have a 'huge amount of faith' in the English legal system following a 'seven-year battle'.
"So justice from this trial would be to hold them liable. BHP have denied the throughout the entirety of this despite the fact that they on the one hand say we have paid billions in Brazil already and yet on the other hand, they say 'We are not liable.' And at the same time, they try to say that with a straight face," the lawyer added.
According to media reports, over 620,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments and approximately 2,000 businesses pressed charges against the world's biggest miner BHP to demand a 36 billion pounds (47 billion dollars) payout. The trial is scheduled to be held for 12 weeks started.
BHP rejected its liability, claiming that the lawsuit duplicated the previous legal proceedings and demanding its dismissal. Previously, approximately $8 billion was reportedly paid to affected people through the Renova Foundation as well as 1,7 billion dollars to claimants.
In 2015 the Mariana Dam owned by BHP collapsed, sending over 40 million cubic metres of toxins into the Doce River, affecting Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo States and killing at least 19 people.