Roger Hallam, the co-founder of the British environmental activist group Just Stop Oil, has been sentenced to five years in prison for organising a protest in 2022 at the M25 that disrupted traffic for over 500,000 vehicles.
Judge Christopher Hehir of Southwark Crown Court handed down the sentence. In addition to Hallam, four other activists, including Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, and Cressida Gethin, were sentenced. These four activists received four-year imprisonment sentences each.
How the M25 Protests Were Planned and Its Impact
Around 45 people have reportedly climbed the gantries as part of the 2022 protests, which the prosecution claimed cost the UK economy at least £765,000. The Metropolitan Police says the protest cost the economy more than £1.1 million.
Moreover, On November 9, 2022, during a traffic incident brought on by one of the protests, a police officer was knocked off his motorcycle and sustained bruising and a concussion, according to prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC.
It is worth noting that before the M25 protests, all five defendants attended a Zoom call where talks were held regarding the planned protests based on “what was said expressly and what could be inferred.” Ms Ledward told the court that the defendants aimed to recruit more people for the protests through the conference. During the call, a reporter from The Sun infiltrated it and managed to record excerpts of the call, which they forwarded to the police.
During the five defendants’ hearing, Judge Hehir remarked that the Zoom call was evidence of ‘how intricately planned the disruption was and the sophistication involved’ and was ‘compelling evidence’ of a conspiracy. Moreover, prosecutor Jocelyn added that the protests were ‘extensively organised and planned’ and each defendant played a ‘significant role’ in the plot.
Reactions To The Court Statement
A video posted on Just Stop Oil’s official X account showed the five activists being driven out of prison for their trial. In contrast, supporters of the group showed support for their arrested leader and other members.
Many who have supported the movement have shown concern over the court’s decision to imprison the protesters. Supporter and TV naturalist Chris Packham says he “feels sick” and describes the court decision as “judiciary thuggery.”
“I’ve just watched what can only be described as judicial thuggery, a total disregard for any mitigation circumstances when it came to sentencing. Disproportionately high sentences are given to peaceful climate protesters in a world which is on fire. In a world which is burning and flooding. In a world amid a biodiversity crisis,” Packham said.
He added that this ruling is “terrifying” in the context of the right to peaceful protests and that everyone must do their part to advocate for this right.
“I’ve been in those delays caused by Just Stop Oil protesters. I’ve suffered those inconveniences, not to the same degree that I’ve missed a funeral, a hospital appointment, or anything of that level. But can I just say that at this point we need to look at the bigger picture on a global scale. Think about our entire species,” Packham noted.
Packham also appeared at the court following the court decision alongside television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince, Labour MP Clive Lewis, and Green peer Jenny Jones.
“It’s increasingly obvious to all of us that these laws were put in place to protect the fossil fuel companies and to protect a version of business as usual that continues to damage the climate and harm us all. But we should be clear that these laws also remove the rights of every British citizen to engage in peaceful protest,” Fearnley-Whittingstall said.
An Overview of Just Stop Oil’s Protests
Just Stop Oil came into the light in 2022 when, on March 13 of that year, several group protesters disrupted the 75th British Academy Film Awards. Later that year, they disrupted several football matches at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
In the same year, they also carried out England-wide blockades of ten critical oil facilities and an incident in which protesters went into the 2022 British Grand Prix track, temporarily suspending the race. The group has also been known to vandalise several well-known paintings as a sign of protest, including Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Peach Trees in Blossom’ and ‘Sunflowers’, John Constable’s ‘The Hay Wain’, and a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’.
In 2023, the group’s disruptive protests continued, from disrupting evening sessions at the 2023 World Snooker Championship, a tennis match at the 136th Wimbledon Championships, and even disrupting a Tekken 7 tournament at EGX London.
This year, Just Stop Oil came under fire after protesters vandalised three of Stonehenge’s stones, which are of archaeological significance in the United Kingdom. Various politicians had reacted to the incident, with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling the act a “disgraceful act of vandalism.” In contrast, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer called the group “pathetic” and the damage “outrageous.”
