I’LL DO IT ALL AGAIN
Insulate Britain activist vows to carry on fight as he and eight others are jailed by High Court
Five were given four months, and two three months, but Ben Taylor, 37, who told the court he would be back causing disruption at the earliest opportunity, was sentenced to six.
And Emma Smart, 44, said she will go on hunger strike for her entire four-month term.
Dr Ben Buse, 36, Roman Paluch-Machnik, 28, Oliver Rock, 41, Tim Speers, 36, and James Thomas, 47, were also jailed for four months, while Ana Heyatawin, 58, and Louis McKechnie, 20, were sentenced to three.
Insulate Britain began a wave of protests in September. The nine were jailed at the High Court in London after they admitted breaching the injunction by taking part in a blockade on the M25 on October 8.
The submissions made by Taylor, 37, to the court on Tuesday were described by Dame Victoria Sharp as “inflammatory” and a “call to arms”, and he was therefore given a longer sentence of six
months “to deter [him] from committing further breaches”.
The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Chamberlain, added: “The defendants, or some of them, seem to want to be martyrs for their cause.
“We, however, have to act dispassionately and proportionately.”
The group and their supporters chanted “We are unstoppable, another world is possible”, as the nine were led to the cells.
A statement from those jailed was read out after the sentencing.
It said: “By imprisoning us, the Government shows its cowardice. They would rather lock up pensioners than insulate their homes.
“They would rather lock up young people than take practical steps to reduce emissions.
“They will lock us up and leave thousands to die of cold this winter. We knew we would face prison when we took this action, but we could not stand by while the Government betrays the general public.”
Some of them seem to want to be martyrs for their cause
DAME VICTORIA SHARP ON JAILING THE ACTIVISTS