Mcdonnell tells court: protesters inspired me
Judge ‘surprised’ by Labour MP’S statement backing activists charged over London demonstrations
A JUDGE has expressed surprise after John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, gave a statement in court supporting three Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists charged with public order offences. The activists were convicted by Judge Richard Blake of offences committed during Extinction Rebellion protests that brought central London to a standstill in April.
In the statement read out at City of London magistrates’ court, Mr Mcdonnell defended the protests, which are claimed to be the biggest act of civil disobedience in recent British history, because they helped persuade MPS to declare a formal climate emergency.
He said he and others had been inspired by XR’S action and noted that the Labour Party’s policy programme had developed quickly and substantially as a result.
“The activists successfully raised the profile of the climate threat and focused the minds of us all on the radical action that is needed,” he said in the statement. It follows his comments in June when he said the disruption was “definitely worth it” in raising awareness of climate change.
Summing up the case and referring to Mr Mcdonnell’s intervention, Judge Blake said: “I was surprised by that statement. I will say no more than that.”
He found Patrick Thelwell, 20, from York; Peter Scott, 66, from Devon; and Samuel Elmore, 26, from Hyde End, Bucks, guilty of offences including breaches of the Public Order Act 1986, obstructing a highway and obstructing police. However, he discharged them on condition that they did not re-offend in the next year.
He found them guilty after rejecting the case put forward by Russell Fraser, their barrister, that they acted out of necessity to make the Government take steps to help avert the “catastrophic consequences” from inevitable extreme global warming. They were the first of the XR protesters to go on trial with legal representation. More than 1,000 people were arrested during the 11-day protest, which the movement is intending to repeat in London in October.
The judge said he did not doubt the sincerity of the trio, accepting that they were not protesting because “they fancied a lark” but because of their concerns and beliefs that the world faced a potential climate disaster.
He did note evidence from police about the disruption which hit some 500,000 travellers including those who were less well off and unable to leave from Victoria bus station.
He urged the three to learn from the experience. However, Thelwell said afterwards that he was committed to taking part in similar actions later this year.
The student at the University of York told the court that the famines to come would be part of the feared sixth mass extinction.
Scott, a community choir leader and care home entertainer, told the court: “Without disruption I am afraid nobody listens.”