In October 2022, two protestors of the UK-based group ‘Just Stop Oil’ Marcus Decker and Morgan Trowland disrupted traffic for almost 40 hours on one of the busiest bridges in the United Kingdom. In support of the Just Stop Oil ‘activist’ group, they climbed the cables supporting the Queen Elizabeth II suspension bridge in Dartford, Kent, and stopped the traffic flow. Both of them were convicted of causing a public nuisance.
Decker was served two years and seven months jail term while Trowland received a three-year sentence. As per British media reports, these were the longest sentences passed on ‘non-violent protesters’ in the UK.
Earlier in the day (21st November), a UN expert while defending both the protestors slammed the UK government. He argued that these long jail terms violate International law adding that this could have a follow-on effect on civil society.
The UN expert said that long sentences handed to two Just Stop Oil protesters for scaling the M25 bridge over the Thames are a potential breach of international law and risk silencing public concerns about the environment, as reported by The Guardian.
The UN’s rapporteur for climate change and human rights, Ian Fry said that he was “particularly concerned” as according to him the sentences were “significantly more severe than previous sentences imposed for this type of offending in the past”. He defended them noting that Decker and Trowland have the right to peaceful protest.
He said, “I am gravely concerned about the potential flow-on effect that the severity of the sentences could have on civil society and the work of activists, expressing concerns about the triple planetary crisis and, in particular, the impacts of climate change on human rights and on future generations.”
Rishi Sunak slams UN expert
Hours after the UN expert raised questions on the UK government, UK PM Rishi Sunak slammed him for arguing that lengthy sentences for climate protesters could curb freedoms in the UK. Sunak asserted that it was “entirely right” to hand “tough sentences” to “selfish protestors” who cause misery for the general public.
Taking to X, he wrote, “Those who break the law should feel the full force of it. It’s entirely right that selfish protestors intent on causing misery to the hard-working majority face tough sentences. It’s what the public expects and it’s what we’ve delivered.”
UN’s rapporteur for climate change and human rights Fry had also sought an explanation from the UK government asking, “why, in light of the current climate crisis, it was necessary to introduce and pass the Public Order Act and how both the Public Order Act and the sentencing of Mr. Decker and Mr. Trowland are compatible with international norms and standards.”
He demanded that ministers should highlight “what steps have been taken … to ensure that non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, and all human rights defenders can carry out their peaceful work free from threat, violence, harassment or retaliation or any sort”.
However, the UK government has not given any reply to Fry’s letter, which was reportedly sent on 15th August. His letter dated 15th August, also highlighted that a letter was also sent on 22nd December in which he demanded an explanation of how provisions in the Public Order Act could be reconciled with international human rights law. The earlier letter was signed by Fry and four other rapporteurs which also remained unanswered by the UK government, Fry’s second letter noted.
Just Stop Oil
In the meantime, there has been no response from the UK Home Office to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said, “Our politicians are planning to kill countless million souls and destroy the rights and freedoms that we have struggled to achieve. That is the brutal reality of climate collapse, hinted at by Dr Ian Fry.”
Calling people to hit the street, the Spokesperson of the ‘activist’ group added, “If the government is willing to ignore a letter from the UN what chance they will listen to ordinary people writing letters to their MPs? We need to get on the streets, we need to resist and stand with those political prisoners jailed for defending their future. Slow march with us in London, from Trafalgar Square … 12 noon every day.”
As per the activist group, ‘Just Stop Oil’ is a nonviolent civil resistance group. It wants the UK Government should stop licensing all new oil, gas, and coal projects in the country. On their website, the group provokes people to hit the street stating “When petitions don’t work we hit the streets,” amplified multiple times. They appeal to them to join its ongoing ‘Slow March’ luring protestors with two options. If they skip the protest they would have to spend their own money whereas the protestors will enjoy “Free” Breakfast at the Police station and get ‘media attention’ as well.
As per a BBC report, around 40% of the Electricity generation of the UK is powered by these resources. i.e., Coal, Oil, and Gas.
