Interview with Roger Hallam shortly before his arrest and remand along with four other climate activists this week.
For decades, the major fossil-fuel corporations have known that their businesses were a major contribution to global warming, and they were warned by their own scientists that this would lead to food shortages, mass migration, rising sea levels, and societal breakdown.
In response, they actively supressed their internal reports, they lobbied governments and media, and continued to expand their businesses. Effectively they conspired to cause public nuisance and criminal damage, as well as flooding, drought, and starvation. None have been arrested to date.
In morning raids on Monday, five members of new political party and direct action campaign, Beyond Politics/Burning Pink were arrested, including Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion. They appeared in court at Highbury & Islington the next day, and were remanded to various prisons after being charged with conspiracy to cause public nuisance and criminal damage. They will be quarantined for two weeks, have a plea hearing in four weeks, and could be held until a trial next year.
Unlike the CEOs of those fossil-fuel corporations, the conspiracy these five are accused of seems to comprise throwing around some eco-friendly paint
Unlike some in the oil industry, they are committed to non-violence in all their actions.
Unlike those corporations, their motives were not profits and power, but compassion.
The party wants no power itself – they have just one simple policy, to oversee the establishment of a representative democratic Citizens Assembly and the handing over of all power to them. A democracy where the “one percent” get just 1% of the influence, and where people work together to find common solutions and equitable outcomes in the face of global crises and injustice.
Roger Hallam is in prison along with young journalist Blyth Brentnall, photographer Ferhat Ulusu, Anglican bishop Steven Nunn, and retired GP Diana Warner. In protest over the government’s lack of meaningful action over the climate and ecological emergency facing mankind, they have begun an indefinite hunger strike and dozens of supporters are joining them in solidarity.
More info at burningpink.org
