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Category: Just Stop Oil

  • The Pro-Palestine Activists Imprisoned for Months Without Being Found Guilty of Any Crime

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    Palestine Actionists blockade the entrance roadway at the research centre of Israel weapons producer Elbit Systems at Filton, Bristol. Martin Pope/Reuters

    https://novaramedia.com/2025/03/12/the-pro-palestine-activists-imprisoned-for-months-without-being-found-guilty-of-any-crime/. Should be read in conjunction with this article by Declassified UK that shows collusion between the UK government and Home Office, Israel and Elbit Systems in persecuting Palestine Action activists.

    Activists are being treated like terrorists.

    …

    Emma, a small business-owner living in Wales, said riot police raided her home without a warrant, despite having already arrested her daughter. “I was half naked [when they came in],” she said “They seized my work laptop, and my 16-year-old’s school laptop, handcuffed me and then led me away.”

    Emma was kept by the police in solitary confinement for five days. “I disappeared from my family almost a week before they released me without charge and without apology, my life and my business upside down. I was left traumatised, in prison scrubs, 150 miles from my home, feeling like an animal. [My crime] was raising a young woman with a great moral compass.”

    A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “A complaint against police has been made which remains under investigation.”

    Punished without trial.

    Emma’s daughter is one of over 40 political prisoners identified by campaign group Defend Our Juries who have been jailed in the UK since July. The case of the Filton 18 has become emblematic of the UK’s increasingly repressive relationship with political activism. Advocates for the activists say the group is effectively being punished through the UK government’s abuse of counter-terrorism measures in a desperate bid to deter Palestine Action from targeting Elbit.

    The controversy has reached parliament. In a Westminster Hall debate in December, John McDonnell MP made a rare, impassioned intervention on the Filton 18’s behalf, saying: “A number of them most probably will be proved innocent, but they’ll have served nearly two years in prison – for what? For trying to do what we’re failing to do – preventing this government supplying arms to a regime that’s killing children.”

    In November, United Nations observers wrote to the head of the UK Mission to the UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, about the case. The activists appear to have been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation “for conduct that appears to be in the nature of ordinary criminal offences and does not appear to be genuinely ‘terrorist’ according to international standards”, the observers said. In late January, the government responded saying it would not be appropriate to comment while criminal proceedings are ongoing.

    The measures taken against the Filton 18 are an escalation from the British state, especially with regards to Palestine Action. For four years, actions by those associated with the group were prosecuted using non-terrorism related charges, meaning they were released on bail before their trial. “[But now that] they’re being tagged and held in remand in connection to terrorism, suddenly the courts are very cautious of giving bail,” said Simon Pook, a lawyer at Robert Lizar, the firm defending the Filton 18. Pook spoke with Novara Media in general terms, not specifically about the Filton 18.

    “When people are arrested under terrorist legislation, they are held in a remand space that is separate from the standard criminal cell. It’s very sterile and intentionally isolating, detaining you in confinement for up to seven days in what I view to be an immensely tortured position,” said Pook.

    …

    For Pook, there’s a concerning continuity between the overzealous anti-protest laws brought in by the previous Tory administration and the current Labour one. “Our civil liberties are in grave danger under the current process that is labelling activist groups as terrorist suspects, as first rolled out by the Conservatives and now Labour,” he said.

    While the Filton 18 languish in prison being treated like terrorists, they will not be charged for terrorism, per se. The CPS intends instead to argue a “link with terrorism”. This loose “link with terrorism” charge is a new development in the UK’s legal landscape, but one that echoes the mistreatment of the Irish community in the 70s, 80s and 90s. “It’s a very chilling moment,” said Pook.

    “I remember when the UK government called the Irish a ‘suspect community’. They were labelled as terrorists through similar processes we’re seeing today, detained at airports and ferry ports under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The UK government is moving us to the point where activists are suspects, criminalising the rights of protest. This causes me grave concern.”

    Pook also points to the lobbying power of the arms and fossil fuel industries – and the geopolitical interests attached to those mammoth sectors. “If the government wants those industries to develop, they’ve got to curtail opposition to it.”

    Freedom of Information disclosures show that in recent years, Elbit held multiple meetings and conversations with UK ministers and the attorney general’s office (AGO), which oversees the CPS. (The AGO told Novara Media: “We do not provide a running commentary on who the AGO holds meetings with or how many.”)

    …

    https://novaramedia.com/2025/03/12/the-pro-palestine-activists-imprisoned-for-months-without-being-found-guilty-of-any-crime/. Should be read in conjunction with this article by Declassified UK that shows collusion between the UK government and Home Office, Israel and Elbit Systems in persecuting Palestine Action activists.

    Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
    Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
    Keir Starmer confirms that his government is cnutier than Suella Braverman on killing the right to protest.
    Keir Starmer confirms that his government is cnutier than Suella Braverman on killing the right to protest.

  • Climate protest ruling ‘another nail in the crucifixion of Justice’

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    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/climate-protest-ruling-another-nail-in-the-crucifixion-of-justice

    Extinction Rebellion activists protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice against the long sentences handed out to climate activists, March 7, 2025

    Just six years cut from 41-year jail sentence for Just Stop Oil activists

    THIRTY people turned their backs on judges today to reveal T-shirts reading “corruption in court,” after it was announced that only six years would be shaved off a 41-year prison sentence for climate protesters involved in peaceful action.

    In January, a rare mass appeal was held for 16 Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters who were handed the draconian sentences last year.

    Today, only six of them saw their sentences reduced in a ruling that has been condemned as having “no place in a democracy that upholds the right to protest.”

    Among them were the “Whole Truth Five,” who sparked outrage after being given record-breaking sentences for “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance” after organising a protest on the M25 over Zoom.

    JSO founder Roger Hallam, who was handed the longest sentence, five years, saw his jail time reduced to four.

    Cressia Gethin, Louise Lancaster, Daniel Shaw and Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, who were originally handed four years each, saw their sentences moderately cut to between 2.5 and three years.

    The only other protester who saw a reduction was 78-year old Gaie Delap, whose sentence for participating in an M25 protest was cut from 20 to 18 months.

    All 16 protesters had been taking part in non-violent actions calling on the government stop issuing new oil and gas licences, a demand which has now been met.

    Among the challenges thrown out were that of Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who were sentenced to two years and 20 months for throwing soup on glass covering Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

    After the ruling, Ms Plummer said in a statement that Britain’s democracy is being “sold off to the highest bidder,” with the nation’s courts “corrupted by the oil and arms industries.”

    The harsh sentences were imposed last year after now-sacked extremism adviser Lord Walney released a report agitating for tougher punishments on activists while pocketing money from arms and fossil fuel companies as a paid lobbyist.

    At today’s ruling, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr acknowledged that “conscientious motivation” was a “factor relevant to sentencing in each case,” but that this “did not preclude a finding that any appellant’s culpability was still high.”

    Last year, in cases such as the Whole Truth Five, activists were repeatedly prevented from talking about climate change during trial.

    The claimants’ lawyer, Raj Chada, said his team would be reviewing the judgement and considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.

    …

    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/climate-protest-ruling-another-nail-in-the-crucifixion-of-justice

    Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.
    Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.
    Greenpeace activists display a billboard during a protest outside Shell headquarters on July 27, 2023 in London.
    Greenpeace activists display a billboard during a protest outside Shell headquarters on July 27, 2023 in London. (Photo: Handout/Chris J. Ratcliffe for Greenpeace via Getty Images)
  • Spread the love
    Experienced climbers scale a rock face near the historic Dumbarton castle in Glasgow, releasing a banner that reads “Climate on a Cliff Edge.” One activist, dressed as a globe, symbolically looms near the edge, while another plays the bagpipes on the shores below. | Photo courtesy of Extinction Rebellion and Mark Richards
    Experienced climbers scale a rock face near the historic Dumbarton castle in Glasgow, releasing a banner that reads “Climate on a Cliff Edge.” One activist, dressed as a globe, symbolically looms near the edge, while another plays the bagpipes on the shores below. | Photo courtesy of Extinction Rebellion and Mark Richards
    Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.
    Neo-Fascist Climate Science Denier Donald Trump says Burn, Baby, Burn.

  • Fossil fuel industry accused of seeking special treatment over oilfield emissions

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    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/18/fossil-fuel-industry-accused-of-seeking-special-treatment-over-oilfield-emissions

    Protests against the Rosebank oilfield in Edinburgh in 2024. Labour pledged in its manifesto to halt new North Sea licensing, but Rosebank was awaiting final approval when the party won the general election. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

    Lobbyists argued it was unfair for their industry to be treated the same as others as end product – oil and gas – inevitably produced emissions

    Experts have accused the fossil fuel industry of seeking special treatment after lobbyists argued greenhouse gas emissions from oilfields should be treated differently to those from other industries.

    The government is embroiled in a row over whether to allow a massive new oilfield, Rosebank, to go ahead, with some cabinet members arguing it could boost growth and others concerned it could make the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 impossible to reach. Labour made a manifesto commitment to halt new North Sea licensing, but Rosebank and some other projects had already been licensed and were awaiting final approval when the party won the general election.

    Documents seen by the Guardian show the industry group Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) asking for Rosebank and other oilfields’ “scope three emissions” – those caused by the burning of extracted oil and gas – to be treated differently because that was the point of their business.

    A court case recently found the licence granted to Rosebank by the previous government was unlawful as it failed to take these emissions into account.

    …

    I am only able to quote a small section of this copyrighted article. See the original article at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/18/fossil-fuel-industry-accused-of-seeking-special-treatment-over-oilfield-emissions

    Orcas are pleased that Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields are blocked.
    Orcas are pleased that Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields are blocked.

  • Over 1000 people block the Strand outside the mass appeal hearing for 16 Just Stop Oil supporters 

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    Over a thousand people took part in a peaceful demonstration blocking the road outside the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday. Inside, the appeal against the draconian sentences given to 16 Just Stop Oil supporters last year is continuing. The mass appeal concerns 16 supporters with combined sentences of 41 years handed down between July and September 2024.

    All 16 Just Stop Oil supporters were jailed in the months following the publication of a report to the government written by ‘Lord Walney’, a paid lobbyist for the oil and arms industry that called for groups such as Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action to be banned in a similar way to terrorist organisations.

    Police arrested at least one before the demonstration. Another was arrested after the protest ended. Celebrities such as Chris Packham, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jonathan Pie could be seen peacefully blocking the road in defiance of swarms of police. Meanwhile, solidarity demonstrations have occurred in countries around the world, including Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand.

    A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:

    We are deeply grateful to the 1,000 peaceful protestors who turned up at the Royal Courts of Justice to show solidarity with Just Stop Oil supporters appealing their sentences. They know that our broken political system is on trial today. This case is not about whether peaceful climate defenders deserve to be punished with long prison sentences. It is about whether it is acceptable in a democracy to allow wealthy fossil fuel executives and paid lobbyists, presented as ‘independent’ government advisors, to dictate our laws, pervert our criminal justice system and silence all opposition to destructive business practices.

    Just Stop Oil supporters in prison are political prisoners. They are not there because they disrupted or harmed everyday people – if that were the case, the water company bosses, Post Office execs and those responsible for the Grenfell disaster would be behind bars. Our supporters are in prison because Just Stop Oil threatens the profits of the fossil fuel industry.

    We say to the government you can lock us up but more people will take our place as the extreme consequences of climate breakdown become more apparent. These 16 were jailed after demanding an end to new oil and gas, something which is now government policy. Just today, a Scottish court has found the development of the largest untapped oil and gas reserves in the UK is unlawful. In other words, Just Stop Oil is right. This is something that will continue to be abundantly clear as this crisis unfolds. We must ensure our leaders are held to account and do the right thing. That is why it is important to step-up and join us outside parliament this April.

    Yesterday in the Court of Appeal, Danny Friedman KC and Brenda Campbell KC acting for the appellants argued that the sentences passed down on the 16 Just Stop Oil supporters were unlawful. In particular the sentences did not take account of relevant case law, the conscientious motivations of the Just Stop Oil supporters, their rights under articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus convention. The appeal is being heard by Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mr Justice Lavender and Mr Justice Griffiths. 

    The barristers acting for the appellants said that if these sentences were upheld it would represent a “paradigm shift on criminal law sentencing”. Those involved in the miners strike, the anti-fascist protests in the 1930s and even Swampy in the 1990s, did not face the kind of sentences that the nonviolent protesters today face.

    Many of the 16 are in prison under the Public Order Act, legislation that was drafted with the aid of the Policy Exchange. This organisation has received funding from Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s largest oil companies, which has a long history of science denialism and funding disinformation, bribing politicians and manipulating media discourse. This legislation did not receive parliamentary assent, and was forced into law using special powers from the time of Henry VIII. This was subsequently found to be unlawful.