Five protesters from the group Just Stop Oil are currently appealing their sentences after being jailed for their involvement in a plan to block the M25 motorway. The co-founder of the group, Roger Hallam, received a five-year sentence, while four other individuals involved were sentenced to four years each. These sentences are believed to be the longest ever given in the UK for a non-violent protest.
Their plan to disrupt the M25 did cause significant delays for road users, resulting in over 50,000 hours of delays and an economic cost of nearly £770,000. The judge presiding over the case, Christopher Hehir, mentioned in his remarks that individuals such as a cancer patient and a child with special needs were negatively impacted by the protest.
Environmental campaigners and activists have expressed outrage over the length of the sentences, with some calling it a “theft of freedom”. UN special rapporteur Michel Frost has also criticized the sentences, stating that they are not proportionate and do not serve a legitimate public purpose.
Various actors, musicians, and faith leaders, including former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, have requested an urgent meeting with the attorney general to discuss the imprisonment of these activists. The group’s lawyers plan to argue that the sentences were excessively harsh and not justified.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil defended the actions of the protesters, stating that they were trying to prevent irreversible harm to the public and the planet. They criticized the judge’s reliance on a “deterrent effect” as being both cynical and naive.
Overall, the case has sparked a significant amount of debate and controversy, with many questioning the fairness and proportionality of the sentences handed down to the protesters. The outcome of the appeal will be closely watched by both supporters and critics of the activists involved.
