This Christmas, a record 40 protesters in the UK will spend the holiday behind bars, sparking concerns about an intensifying crackdown on dissent. The individuals, aged 22 to 58, were imprisoned for actions related to the climate crisis and the war in Gaza, with some facing multi-year sentences, the most severe on record for direct action protests.
Among them are 19 climate protesters affiliated with Just Stop Oil, including individuals who were sentenced for conspiring to cause gridlock on the M25 motorway and two activists who threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery. One protester, Cressida Gethin, 22, defended her actions in court, stating: “Earth’s life-support systems are breaking down due to human activities … I stand by my actions as the most effective option available to me.”
The remaining 21 protesters, mostly on remand, were involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including attempts to disrupt arms supplies to Israel from factories in Glasgow and Bristol. Some face charges of criminal damage, aggravated burglary, and grievous bodily harm after allegedly breaking into a defence firm linked to Israel. Their trial is set for November 2024. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images