Longest sentence for peaceful climate protest in Great Britain – Extinction Rebellion founder jailed for five years

Five climate activists were sentenced Thursday to years in prison for disrupting traffic by protesting on a British highway in 2022.

In November 2022, activists from the Just Stop Oil movement disrupted traffic on the M25 motorway, a ring road around London, the UK capital, for four days.

On Thursday, five activists received their sentences in a British court: five years for Roger Hallam, co-founder of both Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, also known in Finland as Elokabina, and four years for four other defendants, Daniel Shaw, Lucia Whittaker de Abreu, Louise Lancaster and Cressida Kethin. .

All five were convicted earlier in July of conspiracy to cause willful public disturbance.

Hallam's five-year sentence is considered the longest sentence handed down for peaceful protest in the UK.

caused great delay

According to the prosecutor, each of the defendants recruited other activists through Zoom, and caused financial damages of £750,000 through the freeway demonstration.

Additionally, the police response to the demonstration on the M25 reportedly cost over a million pounds.

The demonstration reportedly affected 700,000 vehicles and caused a total of 50,000 hours of delay. According to the judge, activists' actions led to people missing flights and delays from funerals.

– I realize that many people share at least some of your concerns, but the reality is that each of you has gone from zealous activist to bigot some time ago, Judge Christopher Hehir said in relation to him. executes the sentence.

Subsequently, the protestors outside the London court were enraged.

One of those protesting outside was Chris Beckham, known for his nature shows on British television.

Bagham said the judge had handed down “disproportionately harsh sentences to peaceful climate protesters in a world on fire”.

Source: BBC, The Telegraph