Two Just Stop Oil supporters who were remanded after refusing to cooperate with the criminal justice system and vowing to continue in civil resistance following their arrest for slow marching were bailed today.
Appearing by video link from Bronzefield prison, Phoebe Plummer and Ruby Hammill, were granted bail by Judge Hales at Southwark Crown Court this morning, after nearly 3 weeks on remand. A further bail hearing is scheduled for 2pm today for Chara Sarti, 24, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, also remanded three weeks ago.
Phoebe Plummer, 22, was remanded on 16th November after she pledged “I will continue to march while they continue to licence new oil, gas and coal.” She has been charged with a Public Order Act 2023 Section 7 offence relating to interfering with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure. [2]
At the hearing on 16th November Phoebe said:
“How many more children have to die before you listen? How many more floods have to wipe out entire villages? How many people will die before you stop sending people like me to prison? Sir Mark Rowley has been handed a dossier of evidence. Why won’t you investigate the real criminals?””
During the hearing this morning, the prosecution argued that Phoebe Plummer should not be bailed because of her history of breaking bail and frequent arrests. However, the defence argued that the Bail Act is clear: when there is no real prospect of a custodial sentence, bail should be granted. As yet there are no sentencing guidelines for Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, but they argued, it is hard to see how slow-marching in a road for no more than 30 minutes would lead to a custodial sentence. Judge Hales concluded that while he concurred with the prosecution in respect of the likelihood of Miss Plummer reoffending, he was bound by the Bail Act.
Phoebe was released on bail with the condition that she is not to organise or participate in any procession or static assembly in any road within the M25. ‘Road’ includes pavement and any interference with pedestrian traffic. Her trial was set for 17th February 2025.
Ruby Hammill, 19, from South London, was remanded to HMP Bronzefield on 16th November after breaking bail conditions not to protest and vowing to continue in civil resistance if released. She has also been charged with a S7 Public Order Act offence.[3]
Before being remanded in November she said:
“We are on course to lose all we know and love. Elsewhere, young people my age face torture for their peaceful resistance to a much more present threat. Our weird, fascist government is indifferent. Our demand is a no-brainer.”
This morning the prosecution argued against granting bail to Ruby as they alleged that she has committed three offences whilst on bail and would immediately repeat the offences if granted bail. The defence argued that Ruby is only 19 and is of good character but had no legal representation at the previous hearing. The Judge stated that bail was refused in the lower court because of Miss Hamill’s history of breaking bail and that he concurred with the prosecution, but was again bound by the Bail Act.
Ruby was released on bail with the condition that she is not to organise or participate in any procession or static assembly in any road within the M25. ‘Road’ includes pavement and any interference with pedestrian traffic.
Continued expansion of new oil and gas will bring about the wholesale destruction of ordered society and an end to the rule of law. We are not prepared to watch while the government continues to serve the interests of a few, at the expense of everyone else. It’s up to all of us to come together and resist. It is the will of the overwhelming majority of people that we take the actions necessary to ensure our survival and together we can make it happen.
Our government is waging war on its people, and we’re fighting back. They’re the real criminals – imprisoning peaceful people for taking proportionate action to protect their communities, whilst licensing more than 100 new oil and gas projects, which will destroy everything we value. We’re coming together to demand an end to new oil and gas. It’s not a case of ‘if’ we will win; but ‘when’.
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. 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.
