Last weekend, many of the climate activists who have recently faced prison came together for a rally outside the Royal Courts of Justice. This video gives a flavour of their story.
As the UK state pushes ahead with new oil and gas licences in the face of the science and economics, they are also combatting the inevitable protests by putting more and more peaceful activists in prison and pushing ahead with draconian legislation changes.
Earlier this month, three Insulate Britain protesters in prison were joined by a further eleven Just Stop Oil activists for having the temerity to defy a private injunction by standing peacefully with banners on the grass verge outside Kingsbury oil depot in the Midlands when they should have been in court. The eleven were remanded in custody, to join an ever growing number of activists who have been imprisoned over the past few months.
At HMP Foston Hall, eight female climate prisoners engaged in non-compliance, holding protests, refusing to leave their cells when due in court, and refusing to leave the exercise yard and return to their cells. One of those, Michelle Charlesworth, said: Inmates are curious and want to know more. It’s interesting how little officers and inmates seem to know or understand about the existential crisis we are in. Everyone is looking at us and wondering why we would go to such lengths.
