Sixteen activists who vandalized artworks and disrupted public infrastructure are appealing prison sentences ranging from 15 months to five years, arguing their punishments are disproportionate to their crimes.
Just Stop Oil members Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who threw soup on Van Gogh's protected "Sunflowers" painting at London's National Gallery, received 26 and 20 months respectively. Other activists were sentenced for digging tunnels under roads leading to oil terminals, blocking major highways, and planning coordinated disruptions on the M25 motorway, as reported by Euronews.
Just Stop Oil's stated aim is "nonviolent direct action" against climate change. Their methods have included gluing themselves to trains, spraying buildings with fake blood, disrupting major sporting events, damaging artworks, blocking emergency vehicles, and creating hazardous conditions on busy roads. Prosecutors argued these actions went beyond peaceful protest, endangering public safety and causing significant economic damage.
Environmental organizations Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace UK are supporting five of the appeals, particularly those involving the M25 protest planning. "Silencing those striving for a better world will not make these escalating crises disappear," said Friends of the Earth senior lawyer Katie de Kauwe. However, government officials maintain the sentences reflect Parliament's intent to protect critical infrastructure and public order.
Just Stop Oil claims they're "political prisoners," while prosecutors argue they're simply facing consequences for criminal damage and public nuisance.
Previously:
• Just Stop Oil supporters disrupt World Snooker Championship with orange powder
• Activists dump boxes of orange confetti on tennis court during Wimbledon match
• Neotoddlerism: Political activism through temper tantrums
• Just Stop Oil Activists attack Velázquez painting in London
• Activists cover Harrods with orange paint and lie in street to block traffic
• Anti-oil activists spray Stonehenge with orange paint (video)
