Just Stop Oil bridge climbers get 3 years in longest ever sentence for peaceful climate action

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Just Stop Oil at Dartford QE2 bridge M25 crossing. Image: Just Stop Oil

Two Just Stop Oil supporters have been given draconian custodial sentences after occupying the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford in London. The Just Stop Oil supporters were demanding that the government halt licensing and consents for the development of any new fossil-fuel projects in the UK.

The pair appeared before Judge Collery at Southend Crown Court. Morgan Trowland has been sentenced to three years and Marcus Decker has been sentenced to two years and seven months. These are the longest sentences for peaceful climate action in UK history.

The pair scaled the QE2 bridge on October 17th 2022 and remained at height for 37 hours. Both men have been held on remand since the incident.

Speaking before the sentencing, Morgan Trowland, 40, a bridge design engineer from London, said:

“Marcus and I demonstrated what any two ordinary people will do, when the death screams of the world become unbearable. I cannot enjoy liberty in a society when our government makes plans to kill people on a massive scale. Drilling new oil and gas wells in 2023 means death for many of the most vulnerable on earth. I will not be complicit in that.”

Speaking outside the courtroom Stephanie Golder, a Just Stop Oil spokesperson, said:

“What Morgan and Marcus did was extraordinary, risky and extremely disruptive. But what should you do when your government refuses to protect the people? When it ignores the repeated warnings of the world’s climate scientists. When you know that new oil and gas extraction will eventually result in the deaths of billions of people?”

“Nonviolent civil resistance is the answer. It’s what the Suffragettes did, it’s what the Civil Rights movements did. It’s our best chance of getting the scale of change we need, in the time we need it.”

“Just Stop Oil will not be deterred by these draconian sentences. Where they imprison one of us, ten more will take their place. When they imprison ten of us, one hundred will stand to take their place. We must unite against this genocidal government and be brave.”

“For now, that means slowly marching around the streets of London. It is an act of self respect, an act of solidarity, an act of love and necessity. We urge you to join us, because together we can stop the harm that is new oil and gas. Our campaign resumes on April 24th. Sign up at juststopoil dot org.”

Since the Just Stop Oil campaign began on April 1st 2022, there have been over 2,000 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, many without trial. There are currently two Just Stop Oil and five Insulate Britain supporters in prison, serving sentences for actions taken with the campaign.

This is the moment for us to come together and resist the destruction of everything we love, something that is being imposed on us by a few, who only seek to enrich themselves. 

from a Just Stop Oil press release

Continue ReadingJust Stop Oil bridge climbers get 3 years in longest ever sentence for peaceful climate action

Just Stop Oil QEII Bridge activist ‘was delivering climate warning’

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11.15am The video changed shortly after I posted. It was originally far more critical of UK government and urging people to take action, far more like this one ;)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-65127506

A Just Stop Oil protester has told jurors he climbed the Dartford Crossing bridge to deliver a “warning message”.

Morgan Trowland, 40, of Islington, north London, and Marcus Decker, 34, of no fixed address, are on trial accused of causing a public nuisance.

The court has heard the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, linking the M25 in Essex and Kent, was closed between 04:00 BST on 17 October and 21:00 the following day.

“We climbed it to deliver a warning message – to put up a banner saying ‘Just Stop Oil’ and to speak that message through interviews with journalists,” he told Basildon Crown Court.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-65127506

Continue ReadingJust Stop Oil QEII Bridge activist ‘was delivering climate warning’

QEII Bridge climbers trial at Basildon Crown Court

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Just Stop oil protesters scale QE2 Bridge at Dartford Crossing

Two Just Stop Oil supporters who climbed the QEII bridge last October are currently getting tried at Basildon Crown Court from Monday charged with public nuisance.

Marcus Decker and Morgan Trowland are appearing before Judge Collery after spending over 160 days in prison on remand for climbing the QEII bridge to demand that the government halt licensing and consents for the development of any new fossil-fuel projects in the UK.

Continue ReadingQEII Bridge climbers trial at Basildon Crown Court

Just Stop Oil shut Dartford’s QE2 bridge

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It appears that this news is censored by UK government, it is reported by very few news outlets in UK.

Two Just Stop Oil  supporters have climbed to the top of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge forcing police to close the bridge to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.

At approximately 5 am two climbers ascended the two 84m masts on the North side of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge forcing the police to stop traffic from entering the bridge. It is expected that the bridge will remain shut for at least 24 hours.

Morgan Trowland, 39, a bridge design engineer from London, said

“As a professional civil engineer, each year as I renew my registration, I commit to acting within our code of ethics, which requires me to safeguard human life and welfare and the environment. Our government has enacted suicidal laws to accelerate oil production: killing human life and destroying our environment. I can’t challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I’m taking direct action, occupying the QE2 bridge until the government stops all new oil.”

Marcus, 33, a teacher from London said:

“Too many people in this country simply don’t know the scale and intensity of climate breakdown as the scientists describe it. The authorities are criminally failing to get this grim science communicated. During Covid the science was conveyed on a daily basis. Why isn’t the most existential threat that humanity has ever faced on the news every day? 

“Our political system is betraying the people of this country. More fossil fuel licenses means global genocide. Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.” 

Today’s actions follow over two weeks of continuous disruption by supporters of Just Stop Oil in which they have experienced over 450 arrests. On Sunday, there were 14 arrests of Just Stop Oil supporters, who blocked Park Lane and sprayed an Aston Martin dealership with orange paint.  Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,700 times, with 5 currently in prison. 

Continue ReadingJust Stop Oil shut Dartford’s QE2 bridge