These 13 People Could Become Britain’s First Climate Prisoners’
from Oil Change International en español abajo
Later this month, a judge in the UK is set to jail13 non-violent protestors who occupied one of the runways at London Heathrow in July last year.
The protest, the first ever on a Heathrow runway, lasted six hours and caused the delay or cancellation of some 25 flights.
It was carried out by activists from Plane Stupid, who are opposed to airport expansion.
In their trial last month the activists—known as the Heathrow 13—tried to argue the “necessity defense” in that their actions were necessary due to the “airport’s contribution to life-threateningclimate change.”
It is the same defense that the so-called Delta 5 used recently in the U.S. after they blocked a crude by oil terminal in Washington State.
But whereas the judge in the Delta 5 trial praised the defendants for being “part of the solution to the problem of climate change” and “quite frankly, the kind of tireless advocates we need in this country,” the judge in the Heathrow 13 trial sees it very differently.
#ClimateTrial of the #Delta5 -brave activists argue that blocking crude oil train WAS necessary to defend climate https://t.co/KDnNJPOYOk
— RAN (@RAN) January 12, 2016
At the end of last month, the judge convicted the 13 of aggravated trespass and being airside without lawful authority. She asked them to return in three weeks on Feb. 24 for sentencing. The defendants have been told to prepare for immediate custodial sentences.
They could spend up to three months in prison.
In response to their convictions, the Heathrow 13 issued a statement:
“Today’s judgement demonstrates that the legal system does not yet recognize that climate defense is not an offense. We took action because we saw that it was sorely needed. When the democratic, legislative and processes have failed, it takes the actions of ordinary people to change them.”
There is now a growing campaign to urge the judge to reconsider: Today’s Independent newspaper reports how the judge is being “urged not to act on her threat to jail 13 peaceful environmental protesters—as campaigners warn that the British legal system’s long-standing tolerance towards non-violent direct action is under threat.”
The article points out that if the “Heathrow 13” are jailed, it would be the first time peaceful environmental protesters have gone to prison for the offense of aggravated trespass since the law was passed two decades ago.
The oldest of the Heathrow 13 is Dr. Rob Basto, a retired atmospheric physicist. He admits to being “apprehensive” about jail, “because of my family situation. My mother is ill and she’s 94.”
Another protestor, Danielle Pafford, 28, said she was shocked “by the judge’s comments. It was really galling to hear her say she understands the serious impact of climate change—but that we made some people late and that’s unacceptable.”
It is no surprise that many of them are being represented by Mike Schwarz, a lawyer from Bindmans, who tells the Independent: “A custodial sentence would be excessive and wrong because there is a long history of recognition by senior judges that an allowance should be made on sentencing for peaceful protests of public importance.”
Schwarz has often represented those fighting for a just and ecologically sustainable future.
More than 20 years ago, I interviewed Schwarz for the book, Green Backlash. He was then worried about how the government and establishment were clamping down on people protesting against road building.
He warned that the British Government was “trying to kill the messenger, rather than address the real issues. This is very worrying, because it is a blinkered way of dealing with issues.”
Schwarz added, “it is a sign of a healthy democracy that new issues are put on the agenda and by clamping down on new issues or those that try to put new issues on the agenda, then we are negating democracy.”
Then the establishment was trying to crush the anti-roads movement and now it is trying to crush climate change campaigners.
We cannot carry on building airports and expanding aircraft travel if we are going to address climate change.
As Leo Murray, one of the co-founders of Plane Stupid, points out: “If a third runway is built at Heathrow we will have no hope of meeting our legally binding carbon targets.”
Murray adds that if the judge does jail the Heathrow 13, they will be “Britain’s first ever climate prisoners.”
If you are concerned about this, there is a petition which can be signed here.
Reino Unido: Estas 13 personas podría convertirse en primer lugar de Gran Bretaña Los presos del clima ‘
A finales de este mes, un juez en el Reino Unido se establece en la cárcel 13 manifestantes no violentos que ocuparon una de las pistas de aterrizaje en Heathrow de Londres en julio del año pasado.
La protesta, la primera vez en una pista de Heathrow, duró seis horas y causó el retraso o la cancelación de unos 25 vuelos.
Se llevó a cabo por activistas de Plane Stupid, que se oponen a la expansión del aeropuerto.
Los activistas argumentan que hay un “estado de necesidad” en que sus acciones eran necesarias debido a la “contribución del aeropuerto al cambio climático que amenaza la vida.”
Es la misma defensa que el llamado Delta 5 usado recientemente en los EE.UU. después de que bloquearon un crudo por el terminal de petróleo en el estado de Washington.
Pero mientras que el juez en el juicio Delta 5 alabó a los acusados por ser “parte de la solución al problema del cambio climático” y “francamente, el tipo de defensores incansables que necesitamos en este país”, el juez en el juicio de Heathrow 13 lo ve de manera muy diferente.
( #ClimateTrial De activistas del # delta5 -brave argumentan que el bloqueo de tren de petróleo crudo era necesario para defender el clima https://t.co/KDnNJPOYOk de 12 de de enero de, el año 2016)
A finales del mes pasado, el juez condenó al 13 de allanamiento agravado y siendo la zona de operaciones sin autorización legal. Ella les pidió que regresara en tres semanas el 24 de febrero para la sentencia. Se les ha dicho a los acusados para prepararse para penas de carcel inmediata.
Podrían pasar hasta tres meses de prisión.
En respuesta a sus convicciones, el Heathrow 13 emitió un comunicado:
“El fallo de hoy demuestra que el sistema legal aún no reconoce que la defensa del clima no es un delito. Tomamos medidas porque vimos que era muy necesaria. Cuando la democrática, legislativo y procesos han fallado, que toma las acciones de la gente común para cambiarlas “.
En la actualidad existe una creciente campaña para instar al juez que reconsidere: informes periódicos independientes de hoy cómo se está “instó al juez a no actuar en su amenaza a la cárcel 13 manifestantes -como ambientales pacíficos activistas advierten que la tolerancia de larga data del sistema legal británico hacia la acción directa no violenta está en peligro “.
El artículo señala que si se encarceló al “Heathrow 13”, que sería la primera vez que los manifestantes pacíficos ambientales han ido a la cárcel por el delito de allanamiento agravado desde que la ley fue aprobada hace dos décadas.
El más antiguo de la Heathrow 13 es el Dr. Rob Basto, un físico atmosférico se retiró. Admite que es “preocupado” sobre la cárcel “, debido a mi situación familiar. Mi madre está enferma y ella es 94. ”
Otro manifestante, Danielle Pafford, de 28 años, dijo que estaba sorprendida “por los comentarios del juez. Fue muy irritante escucharla decir que entiende el grave impacto del cambio climático, sino que hicimos algunas personas tarde y eso es inaceptable “.
No es de extrañar que muchos de ellos están siendo representados por Mike Schwarz, un abogado de Bindmans, que le dice a The Independent: “Una pena de carcel sería excesiva y mal porque hay una larga historia de reconocimiento por parte de jueces de alto nivel que una asignación debe ser realizado sobre sentencias relativas a las protestas pacíficas de importancia pública “.
Schwarz ha representado a menudo los que luchan por un futuro justo y ecológicamente sostenible.
El establecimiento está tratando de aplastar a los activistas del cambio climático.
No podemos continuar la construcción de aeropuertos y la ampliación de los viajes aeronave si vamos a hacer frente al cambio climático.
Como Leo Murray, uno de los co-fundadores de Plane Stupid, señala: “Si una tercera pista en Heathrow se construye no vamos a tener posibilidad alguna de alcanzar nuestros objetivos de carbono legalmente vinculantes.”
Murray añade que si el juez da la cárcel a los 13 de Heathrow, serán los”primeros prisioneros climáticos de Gran Bretaña.”
Si usted está preocupado por esto, hay una petición que puede ser firmada AQUÍ.
below Related posts all HERE
- Heathrow 13 – the justification for their action, and reaction to the verdicts
- Greenpeace comment on the verdict:
- Anti Third Runway Activists Get Their Day In Court
- The Heathrow 13 threatened with jail sentences stand on the right side of history
- Solidarity with the courageous activists opposing airport expansion in France and the UK
- The Flight of Reason in the Face of Airport Expansion
The Free 