One Just Stop Oil supporter who appeared in a Birmingham court yesterday was sent back to prison and another 10 were 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]
The 12 Just Stop Oil supporters, who appeared before Her Honour Judge Kelly at Queen Elizabeth Court in Birmingham yesterday, were accused of breaking the North Warwickshire injunction on 14th September. The private injunction appears designed to help the state protect the profits of the oil industry by effectively outlawing any protest activity near the Kingsbury Oil Terminal. [2] [3]
Rajan Naidu, 71 a civil rights advocate from Birmingham was sentanced to 34 days in prison, after being found guilty of his third breach of the injunction. He will serve at least half of that time. He has already spent time on remand this year after breaching the Warwickshire injunction in May.
El Litten, 34, a web developer from Luton, once again refused to comply with court proceedings and was sent back to prison awaiting a further trial.
A further 10 Just Stop Oil supporters – Zoe Cohen, Jill Bird, Pam Williams, Sue Sidey, Sue Hampton, Ruth Jarman, Peter Morgan, Eric Hoyland, Catherine Rennie-Nash and Diana Hekt – were given sentences varying from 25-34 days, suspended for 2 years plus individual costs in excess of £400. [4]
El Litten, 34, a web developer from Luton, speaking prior to taking action last week, said:
“I’m doing this because I don’t want to be part of a society which is choosing to cause massive and unnecessary harm – where fossil fuel companies make record profits while people die of cold, where lies and denial take precedence over truth, and where business as usual continues blindly on while catastrophes happen around the world. “
“Things are not right – the system is broken. Globally, the worst effects are also landing on those who have done the least to cause them – it is so wrong, and so unjust.”
“Our society allows politicians and businesses to lie with impunity, to make pretty speeches and adverts to misrepresent and mislead, while the truth is that their actions and decisions are causing harm and death on a massive scale.”
Sue Sidey, 57, a former government scientist from Bath said:
“I took action because the UK government is wilfully ignoring the science and abjectly failing in its duty to protect its citizens. As we speed towards multiple climate tipping points, the UK government is indulging in economic and moral madness by issuing new oil and gas licenses.
We are seeing the effects of the climate and ecological crisis all around us and these effects will only get worse. Please don’t be a bystander. Now is the time for civil resistance. Join Just Stop Oil in Westminster from October 1st.”
The 12 were among 51 Just Stop Oil supporters remanded to prison last Friday after they had refused to comply with court proceedings and informed the court that they would break the injunction again. A further group of 10 Just Stop Oil supporters will appear in the Birmingham court from10am today. [5] [6]
Last week there were 56 ordinary people in prison for resisting new oil and gas projects, today that number falls to 46. [7]
Since April 1st when supporters of Just Stop Oil first began blocking oil terminals there have been over 1350 arrests.
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. [3] [4]
This is the moment to come together and resist. We are not prepared to just watch while they destroy everything we love. We’re done with begging. Voting has changed nothing. 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] In court in Birmingham yesterday : Rajan Naidu, 71 from Birmingham, El Litten, 34 from Luton, Zoe Cohen,52, from Warrington, Gillian Bird, 67 from Bristol, Pamela Williams, 74, from Llanidloes, Susan Sidey, 57, from Bath, Susan Hampton,66, from Berkhampsted, Ruth Jarman,59 from Hampshire, Peter Morgan, 74, from Birmingham, Eric Hoyland, Catherine Rennie-Nash, 72 from Kendal, and Diana Hekt, 68 , from West Yorkshire
[6] Sheila Shatford, Tez Burns, Charlotte Kirin, Mary Adams, Jerard Latimer, Darcy Mitchel, George Oakenfold, Michelle Charlesworth, Anthony Whitehouse, Chloe Naldrett. Further committal hearings this week; Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd September at Birmingham Crown Court, Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts. Address: 1 Newton Street, Birmingham, B4 7NA.
[7] In addition to those on remand in connection with breaches of the Kingsbury injunction there are a number of people still being held without trial for taking action with Just Stop Oil: 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 and Chris Bennet, 31 from Bristol, who occupied one of the Essex tunnels near the Navigator oil terminal. In addition, Xavier Gonzalez-Trimmer, who occupied one of the Essex tunnels near the Navigator oil terminal is due in court in London today.
