As the campaign against the imprisonment of 16 Just Stop Oil activists continues, the fightback for the planet is gaining traction, reports Carole Vincent

Sixteen Just Stop Oil activists serving prison sentences amounting to a total of forty one years, were this week given the right to appeal their sentences at the Court of Appeal. The political prisoners, some young and some older, more experienced climate activists, have been given the unprecedented right for their appeals to be heard together. 

Supporters from Just Stop Oil, Defend Our Juries and Free Political Prisoners, held a silent vigil outside the court before it sat on Wednesday and Thursday. There were speeches from actor Juliet Stevenson, Chris Packham, Chef Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall. There was also music from Billy Bragg and Commen, who joined hundreds in calling for the draconian sentences to be quashed. Some of the activists are serving four or five years – longer than someone convicted of sexual assault could serve. Where is the justice? 

On Thursday, another vigil was held, followed by speeches calling for the government to listen to the scientists and look at the global devastation and destruction caused by climate change, including fires, floods, earthquakes, and storms. Last year recorded the highest temperatures since records began, and more storms are causing destruction in the UK.

It’s not rocket science, but it is science, and it’s being ignored by those in power and their corporate mates pulling the strings! This is one reason that people, young and old, have become so desperate to do something, that they’ve taken drastic action to draw attention to the urgent climate crisis.

The Doomsday clock was moved another second closer to midnight this week, towards a massive man-made global catastrophe. 

We must stop our dependence on fossil fuels, we must stop giving big oil corporations contracts. In Donald Trump’s words, “to drill, drill, drill baby” but to do so will, “kill, kill, kill”. This week, Scottish Courts have halted work on the “Jackdaw” oil field platform and climate campaigners have prevented the Norwegian company’s plans to drill for oil in the North Sea. The Rosebank project is also halted, setting a precedent for the same to happen to other similar contracts whilst further impact surveys are completed. A victory for activists and the planet, for now. 

Thursday saw more than 1000 climate activists descend upon the capital. Through an incredibly well co-ordinated Defend Our Juries, Free Political Prisoners and JSO silent sit-in, The Strand outside the Royal Courts of Justice was peacefully occupied for ninety minutes. 

Activists exhibited paintings depicting 100 political prisoners from around the globe, and held placards with statements such as “Corrupt Courts” and with the 1670 Law stating “Juries have a right to acquit a defendent according to their conscience.” This statement has been adopted by Defend Our Juries, who display it on placards during silent court protests in support of those on trial for acting according to their conscience. 

Other placards read, “Stop Jailing Truth Tellers” & “Pardon Peaceful Protesters Please”, a direct plea to the three Appeal Court Judges. The decisions about the sentences will come within one to six weeks, according to the defendants’ lawyers, who emerged late afternoon. 

A large number of police were deployed to the court on both days, but Thursday saw an escalation in the number of officers who were caught off guard when Climate Activists from Just Stop Oil stopped traffic in all directions from Kingsway along the Strand WC1., allowing the very successful occupation of the road that followed. Police then threatened to bring Section 14 of the Public Order Act into play. This did not deter activists who remained sitting in the road and the order never appeared. 

This approach was in stark contrast to the brutal attack by police on the Palestine demonstration earlier in the month, which saw the arrest of Chief Steward of Stop the War, Chris Nineham, and Ben Jamal (leader of Palestine Solidarity Campaign), with Chris arrested and both charged under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.

The heavy-handedness and bolstering of police numbers at protests shows how worried Keir Starmer’s Labour government is getting about the groundswell of dissent occurring in Britain today. 

The Chancellor said she had agreed to the third runway at Heathrow being completed by 2035 as part of the UK’s “Growth” plan. This is the same Chancellor who has put on hold the building of desperately needed new hospitals because there’s no money! 

Rachel Reeves could come unstuck with her Heathrow project, given the immediate opposition from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The fightback for the planet is gaining traction as people wake up to the fact that there is always enough money for corporate business and war, but never enough for the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.