Supporters of Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and many others are joining forces in a show of solidarity and resistance to march to the Home Office today. They are demanding an end to new oil and gas and that the government end its deportation proceedings against one of the QE2 bridge climbers. [1]
Marcus Decker, a German citizen, who has leave to remain in the UK, faces automatic deportation after serving one of the longest sentences in British legal history for peaceful civil resistance. Together with Morgan Trowland, he climbed the QE2 bridge as part of Just Stop Oil’s six-week campaign of daily disruption in the capital last October. [2]
Indigo Rumbelow, a spokesperson from Just Stop Oil, said:
“We will be sending a clear message to the Home Secretary that the cowardly ‘double punishment’ of peaceful people in civil resistance to stop government criminality and protecting the lives of their families will not go unchallenged. We’re demanding that Marcus stays in the UK and is not deported at the end of his sentence so that he can remain with his family, friends, and stepchildren.“
Today’s march, which will start at Parliament Square at midday, will be joined by hundreds of supporters from a range of climate groups that Marcus is involved with. This includes Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain, Just Stop Oil, and Haringey Community Action Network.
The march will make its way from Parliament Square to the Home Office, with speakers including Peter Kennard, Marcus himself (via telephone from prison), and his partner Holly Cullen-Davies who will speak on the impact Marcus’s absence is having on their children. A petition calling to secure Marcus’ right to remain in the UK has already reached over 77,000 signatures.
Lord Deben, former Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal, said:
“These people are doing what they’re doing because we are not moving fast enough – and we have to. The whole political establishment should realise these protests come from people who are desperate because they realise our future is emperilled because we’re not doing enough.
I want everyone to realise how absolutely urgent it is – they ought to be in touch with their MPs, and they ought to make themselves a nuisance in every circumstance they can because we have to act now.“
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, former Deputy Mayor of London, said:
“I have watched this awful piece of legislation going through which is already the cause of deep repression. I want to send a message of solidarity to Marcus and Morgan – I am so sorry that you’ve had to suffer this and I hope that we can do something for you. For me, you represent martyrs – and there will be others. Solidarity.”
Just Stop Oil’s campaign continues nationwide – today 15 supporters in Northampton were threatened with arrest after marching in the road for about 200 metres. Simultaneously in Lancaster, 14 marched on the A6 before taking their protest to a shopping centre. Yesterday Just Stop Oil supporters disrupted traffic for over an hour during a slow march in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
On 25th May after spending eight months in prison, and one month after being found guilty of the charge of Public Nuisance, Marcus received a letter from the Home Office indicating that he faces automatic deportation to Germany. This means Marcus would not be able to return to his partner and family upon release. Although Marcus is appealing his draconian prison sentence of two years and seven months, his case is not expected to reach the Court of Appeal until at least January 2024. [3]
Marcus is a German citizen who has made his home in the UK. He is an upstanding member of his local community who undertakes voluntary work alongside his professional career as a teacher and musician. He received a custodial sentence of two years and seven months for scaling Dartford QE2 Bridge in October 2022 with Morgan Trowland. Their action, part of a six-week campaign of actions by Just Stop Oil to demand the UK Government halts new fossil fuel licences, led to traffic delays as the bridge was closed for more than 41 hours. Both men were immediately remanded to prison and have so far been held for nine months in HMP Chelmsford and HMP Highpoint. [3]
Legal expert Melanie Strickland, from Lawyers Are Responsible, said:
“The Home Office says it’s ‘not conducive to the public good’ for Marcus to remain. But it clearly is. Marcus stood up for our futures against our ecocidal and increasingly authoritarian government. Breaking up families is not conducive to the public good. We stand in full solidarity with Marcus, Morgan, and all climate activists fighting for our futures.”
Marcus and Morgan’s case has become a ‘cause célèbre’ nationally, with an outpouring of support recognising the state of the UK government’s depravity in sending ordinary people to prison for longer and longer sentences amidst the backdrop of increasing climate breakdown, unprecedented wildfires, floods and famine.
Iconic musician Peggy Seeger addressed her thanks to the pair:
“You didn’t expect to go to prison for what was, until recently, a human right… thank you, thank you, thank you – you’re on our minds.”
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Notes to editors:
[1] https://juststopoil.org/2023/04/21/bridge-climbers-get-3-years-in-longest-ever-sentence-for-peaceful-climate-action/
[2] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12144097/German-Just-Stop-Oil-protester-scaled-Dartford-Crossing-bridge-faces-deportation.html
[3] https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/30/section/32
[4] https://www.facebook.com/events/s/dont-deport-marcus/791138829252931/
[5] https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-deportation-of-a-peaceful-climate-activist
[6] 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. Just Stop Oil is a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects. Climate Emergency Fund is Just Stop Oil’s primary funder for recruitment, training, and capacity building.
Just Stop Oil ‘Blue Lights’ policy: our policy is, and has always been, to move out of the way for emergency vehicles with siren sounding and ‘blue lights’ on.
