Two more Just Stop Oil supporters were jailed this week while five walked free after being given suspended sentences for sitting peacefully outside the Kingsbury Oil Terminal to demand an end to new oil and gas projects in the UK. [1][2]
The Just Stop Oil supporters who appeared before Her Honour Judge Kelly at Queen Elizabeth Court in Birmingham on Tuesday and Wednesday, were accused of breaking the North Warwickshire injunction on 14th September. The private injunction has been designed to help the state protect the profits of the oil industry by effectively outlawing any protest activity near the Kingsbury Oil Terminal. [3]
Michelle Charlesworth, 55, a former human resources professional from Oxfordshire was sentenced to 5 months in prison (154 days), after being found guilty of her third breach of the Warwickshire injunction. She was ordered to pay costs of £1415. Michelle’s sentence is reduced by 26 days for the time she has already served on remand. She is likely to serve over two months.[4]
Barry Mitchell, 74, a pensioner from Telford, who appeared on Wednesday was sentenced to 70 days in prison, reduced to 24 days for early admission of guilt and time served for his third breach of the Warwickshire injunction. He was ordered to pay costs of £1,180. He is likely to serve two weeks. [5]
Charlotte Kirin, Tez Burns, Mary Adams, Sheila Shatford, El Litton were each sentenced to 30 days suspended for 2 years. All 5 were ordered to pay costs of £1415.
Mary Adams, 69, a grandmother and charity director from London said:
“We have wasted 30 years by not transitioning out of fossil fuels and now we are paying the price. As our new King warned at COP26, time has run out. Climate change is not coming, it’s here”
“Extending new oil licenses is sheer madness – economically and morally. They are literally adding fuel to the crisis engulfing the world. Times are very tough. We are paying the price in so many ways for our government’s failure to end new oil and gas. Enough is enough!”
“It’s up to us all now to force our government to act to protect its citizens. Thousands of us will be on the streets and in Parliament Square from October 1st. Come and join us. Together we can win.”
A spokesperson from Just Stop Oil said
“ Twelve days ago more than 50 ordinary people who were demanding urgent action to address the climate crisis were sent to jail in one day by a justice system that has been weaponized by the government to crush dissent in order to protect the fossil fuel industry. This week there are 8 Just Stop Oil supporters in prison, with two being held for months without trial. But we will not stop.
“As the government doubles down on fossil fuel energy by ramping up supply and breaks its manifesto commitment on fracking, Just Stop Oil supporters will continue to take nonviolent direct action to demand an end to this genocidal death project. We accept the consequences of our actions and we don’t need you to feel sorry for us, we need you to step up and join us.”
The 7 who appeared this week were the last of the 51 Just Stop Oil supporters remanded to prison on 16th September after they had refused to comply with court proceedings and informed the court that they would break the injunction again. [6]
After six days of court appearances, 45 Just Stop Oil supporters have been freed and 6 are now serving custodial sentences in connection with actions at Kingsbury, while a further 2 people have been held in prison without trial since July 7th. [7]
Since April 1st, when supporters of Just Stop Oil first began blocking oil terminals, there have been over 1350 arrests.
This is the moment to come together and resist the genocidal death project. We are not prepared to just watch while everything we love is destroyed. We’re done with begging. We are going to stop new oil whether those in power agree or not. As citizens, as humans, as parents and children we have every right under British law to protect ourselves and those we love. This is the moment, we are the last generation that can solve this. Will you step up and join us? If we all come together we can do this. We can Just Stop Oil. Join us from October 1st in Westminster.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK. More information here: https://juststopoil.org/
[2] https://juststopoil.org/2022/09/14/50-just-stop-oil-supporters-breach-the-warwickshire-injunction/
[3] The charge of contempt of court relates to breach of the North Warwickshire injunction. https://www.northwarks.gov.uk/downloads/file/9139/injunction_order
[4] https://juststopoil.org/2022/05/18/civil-resistance-in-prison-continued/
[7] There are 6 people now serving prison sentances in connection with actions taken at Kingsbury: Rajan Naidu, Sarah Benn, Simon Milner-Edwards, Margaret Reid, Michelle Charlesworth and Barry Mitchell. In addition there are two people still being held without trial for taking action with Just Stop Oil earlier in the year: Joshua Smith, 29 from Manchester and Louis McKechnie, 21 from Weymouth, who have been on remand since July 7th and are expected to face trial in February 2023.
