On Friday, the London Court of Appeal softened the strictest sentences for six out of a total of 16 convicts previously protesters. The judgments of the first instance court for 10 activists were maintained.
Climatic activists legally convicted
In mid -2024, members of the group Just Stop Oil They were sentenced, among others, to punishments from four to five years in prison for blocking the London highway less than two years earlier. It was one of the strictest sentences issued in Great Britain for peaceful protests. According to the judge, the protesters, leading to a few days of paralysis, “crossed the boundaries”.
Now The most severe judgments were slightly reduced. This was the case with a 58-year-old Roger Hallamco -founder of the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. Earlier he was sentenced to five years in prison, and Friday The penalty was reduced to four years.
Two sentences were reduced by two from four to three years in prisonand two more four years of judgments were shortened to 30 months. The next person was a 20 -month prison sentence to be shortened by two months.
Court of appeal He upheld sentences for the other 10 peopleincluding those that poured the famous painting “sunflowers” with tomato soup Vincenta Van Gogh at the National Gallery in London. These convicts will have to serve the previously awarded penalties from 20 months to two years in prison.
“Extreme threat” or “nail in the coffin of justice”
The convict in front of the court building supported several dozen supporters, dressed in T -shirts with the printed slogan “Corruption in court”. The entry on the Just Stop Oil profile on Facebook. “Today's sentence is another head to the coffins of justice,” said the JSO profile.
In another post, the organization stated that “these judges, [którzy wydali wyrok – red.] By hiding for the rule of law, they would send those who helped Anna Frank to freight wagons. “
According to the prosecutors, the judgments are adequate, because the conduct of convicts “went far beyond what was reasonable”, and their actions brought the “extreme threat” to society and themselves.
Expensive chaos in London
Activists were convicted of organizing an action carried out in November 2022. Then a group of 45 people she invaded the London bypassM25, climbing the installation above the road and hung up banners. In this way, traffic on the highway was blocked, as well as on the surrounding access roads. M25 is one of the most crowded roads in the country.
This led to real communication chaos lasting four days. Many people were late for planned outlets, visits to the doctor and exams. There were also several accidents. Prosecutors in court argued that The blockade cost a total of 765 thousand. poundsand according to the London police, its cost exceeded a million pounds.
Activists from the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion groups became famous for many of the controversial climate protests. In order to pay attention to the issue of global warming and calling for fighting with it, among others, they poured stonehenge boulders, private planes, home Leo Messi and interrupted the performance Sigourney Weaver and West Endzie.