27th September 2024: HXR members join ‘free political prisoners’ campaign at Southwark Crown Court
On 27th September, HXR members joined 320 people from diverse groups, including Defend our Juries, Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, Palestine Action, Animal Rising and Greenpeace, in a silent protest against the ongoing assault on our democratic rights. This was the first in an escalating series of non-violent civil disobedience protests to demand the release from prison of the many peaceful activists, some of whom have been jailed for four or five years. The campaign seeks a public meeting with the Attorney General to discuss their silencing and jailing and to demand the removal of Lord Walney, the government’s “independent” adviser on political violence and disruption who, sinisterly, is also a paid industry lobbyist for the arms and oil industries.
Protestors held 100 images of political prisoners across the world, including Mohandas Gandhi, Emmeline Pankhurst, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr, as well as the 40 people imprisoned in the UK for protest on the climate and Palestine.
Inside the court, Judge Christopher Hehir, handed further prison sentences to Phoebe Plummer (2 years) and Anna Holland (20 months) for throwing soup over Van Gough’s Sunflowers, in defence of life, at the National Gallery in October 2022. While there was some damage to the frame, the painting was unharmed. Until recently, it was almost unheard of for peaceful protestors to serve time in prison.
On Friday 20th September at 10am, campaigners physically delivered a petition, signed by over 60,000 people, to the Attorney General’s Office, calling for him to grant the public meeting.
HXR members have joined a number of previous DoJ protests in August 2024, April 2024, December 2023, September 2023 and May 2023
What can I do?
Get involved with the Defend our Juries campaign
Sign the Liberty petition asking Keir Starmer & Yvette Cooper to repeal the last Government’s anti-protest laws.
Further reading:
Defend our Juries. Movements demand: ‘free political prisoners’ as more peaceful people jailed
Liberty. Protest rights: why we should be concerned
Demos. The public overwhelmingly support the right to protest
The Guardian 2/9/24 Artists plead for activists who threw soup on a Van Gogh to be spared jail. More than 100 artists, curators and academics said Just Stop Oil action was in keeping with ethos of the arts