Yesterday evening, supporters from Extinction Rebellion and Beyond Politics gathered outside Pentonville prison where co-founder Roger Hallam is being held on remand. Due to coronavirus restrictions we’ve been told he has been allowed out of his cell for just 40 minutes every two days and has been denied any books in isolation. Dr Diana Warner is also on remand in a Bristol prison.
The two are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and campaigners point out that others on similar counts have been released on bail so they suspect these two are being held to stop them speaking out or protesting during the rebellion.
At the end of a loud noise protest the words “Free Roger Hallam” were sprayed on the walls of the prison, also hit by pink paint bombs.
The previous evening at an event in Tufton Street, former banker and capital finance specialist Chidi Oti-Obihara asked the gathered crowd, which included many well-known literary and cultural figures, to mark a minute’s silence in respect for Diana and Roger.
With so many arrests this week, and further protests planned, it’s expected more protesters may end up on remand in the coming week, and weekly noise protests are planned outside Pentonville at 7pm on Thursdays at least until the end of September when Hallam has another bail hearing.
