In a significant legal outcome, five members of the environmental activist group Just Stop Oil, including one of its co-founders, have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating protests that blocked the M25 motorway for four consecutive days in November 2022. The protests, which aimed to disrupt traffic as part of a larger campaign against climate inaction, resulted in substantial economic and logistical impacts.

 

Roger Hallam, 58, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, were all found guilty of conspiring to organize the disruptive actions. Hallam, known as a co-founder of both Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, received a five-year prison sentence. The other four defendants were each sentenced to four years. These sentences are considered some of the longest ever imposed for non-violent protest activities.

 

 

Prosecutors detailed the extensive repercussions of the protests. During the demonstrations, 45 individuals climbed onto gantries over the M25, causing significant disruption. The economic cost of the protests was estimated at over £765,000, while the Metropolitan Police incurred costs exceeding £1.1 million. The disruptions resulted in more than 50,000 hours of vehicle delays, impacted over 700,000 vehicles, and left the M25 "compromised" for more than 120 hours. Additionally, a police officer suffered a concussion and bruising after being knocked off his motorbike in traffic caused by one of the protests on November 9, 2022.

 

During the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC revealed that the five defendants had participated in a Zoom call on November 2, 2022, where they discussed and planned the protests, and sought to recruit others to join their cause. A journalist from The Sun newspaper, who had joined the call under the pretense of being interested in the protest, provided recordings of the discussions to the police.

 

Last week, a jury convicted the defendants of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance, in violation of section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977. Following the sentencing, the defendants, referred to as the Whole Truth Five by Just Stop Oil on social media, shouted "we love you" as they were led away.

 

Judge Christopher Hehir, in his remarks to the defendants, emphasized that their actions had crossed the line from concerned activism to fanaticism. "The plain fact is that each of you some time ago has crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic," he said. Addressing Hallam specifically, the judge stated, "You are the theoretician, the 'ideas' man. In my judgement you sit at the very highest level of the conspiracy."

 

The case underscores the ongoing tension between environmental activism and public order, as well as the legal and ethical challenges surrounding climate protests. The sentences highlight the severity with which the courts are now treating disruptive protest actions, especially those that have significant economic and public safety impacts. The ruling is likely to spark further debate on the balance between the right to protest and the need to maintain public order and safety.

 

Credit: Sky News 2024-07-20

 

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Excellent news. They are entitled to their views but not to cause massive disruption to society.

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

Judge Christopher Hehir, in his remarks to the defendants, emphasized that their actions had crossed the line from concerned activism to fanaticism.

IMO 100% correct. The world has too many fanatics, and would be better off if they were all locked away for a very long time.

So more good news, hopefully it will reach others a lesson!

Lucky no deaths occurred through their stupid dangerous actions, had that happened in Thailand a few would have got runover, and possibly drivers deaths.  

Brilliant...........

Now do the same with the orange paint daubers, send the message, "You are tools"...

While I'm pleased that they are going to prison, I question the wisdom of taking up bedspace for 4-5 years when there are so many truly violent criminals that are probably given lighter sentences (or even being released early) for lack of prison resources.  Not to mention the cost, at what?  Maybe 50,000 GBP per annum for each?

 

I think a year or so would be plenty of time-out for them to think about the consequences of their actions.

 

(Out of curiosity, do British inmates work on the inside or otherwise pay to defray the cost of housing them?  Curious because I don't know the UK system)

 

Edited July 20, 20241 yr by impulse

British prisons are as good as full at the moment (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crg5vp0296eo).  Even though I'm happy for these morons to go to jail, I don't think this is the best sentence when I'd rather see violent, or potentially violent, people sent down.  Maybe a community sentence, e.g. cleaning litter off of the motorways or anything else that keeps the British road network running more smoothly.

 

Or maybe a one-way ticket to Rwanda?

These heroes will be out within months.

3 minutes ago, Red Forever said:

These heroes will be out within months.

If your Red country, they would be shot..........😂

Only 6 protesters charged !! ... what about the other 200 or so ?  .. you know . the ones who sat their watching the Police chat among themselves ... 

30 minutes ago, Humpy said:

Only 6 protesters charged !! ... what about the other 200 or so ?  .. you know . the ones who sat their watching the Police chat among themselves ... 

But, a message has been sent, those who wish to carry on with their <deleted>, will know full well the possible consequences......🤔

Cressida is going to be shocked when there is no tofu or avocado on the menu.

 I wonder when someone is jailed for years over protesting something you agree with?

 

8 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Cressida is going to be shocked when there is no tofu or avocado on the menu.

 

hopefully in a cold dark place..   with only a China made solar panel or a wind turbine for that 1 watt LED bulb in their cell 

Excellent news.

Hope to see more of this. 

 

 

7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 I wonder when someone is jailed for years over protesting something you agree with?

 

 

Quite the conundrum eh.

An utterly inexcusable sentence designed to send a political message from an utter disgrace of a judge. 

 

Having previously let a policeman convicted of rapes go free, and having given  a pedophile who drugged and abused children a suspended sentence, Christopher Hehir shows how unfit he is to be a member of the judiciary when he sentences 4 people to 21 years for non violent crimes. 

 

The punishment does not fit the crime;the judge and the law are not for for purpose. 

UK prisons are full to the brim and they plan to release hardened criminals. Locking up climate protesters is idiocy. So what if people on the M25 got delayed. 

On 7/20/2024 at 6:16 PM, Red Forever said:

These heroes will be out within months.

I certainly hope so.

22 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Cressida is going to be shocked when there is no tofu or avocado on the menu.

The names of the last two listed have got to be worth at least a couple of years!

12 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

An utterly inexcusable sentence designed to send a political message from an utter disgrace of a judge. 

 

Having previously let a policeman convicted of rapes go free, and having given  a pedophile who drugged and abused children a suspended sentence, Christopher Hehir shows how unfit he is to be a member of the judiciary when he sentences 4 people to 21 years for non violent crimes. 

 

The punishment does not fit the crime;the judge and the law are not for for purpose. 

A hard sentence yes, but for blocking the M25, and deliberately setting out to cause gridlock.

 

There is a major regional hospital adjacent to that bit of the M25. Such gridlock would have caused many missed appointments, trapped ambulances in gridlocked traffic and potentially led to deaths of their (the ambulances) occupants.

 

They can have been no "not realising" the potential results of what they did, it was deliberate and premeditated.

 

Fair sentence, not a political message. They were the ones who planned and acted to cause chaos, entirely headless of the possible results, to send their political message.

 

The court is sending a message that society does not tolerate that behaviour.

Edited July 21, 20241 yr by herfiehandbag

2 hours ago, retarius said:

UK prisons are full to the brim and they plan to release hardened criminals. Locking up climate protesters is idiocy. So what if people on the M25 got delayed. 

 

i also support just stop oil and the death of most of the human race.

 

lets goooooooooooooooooooooo.