06 Dec “I do this for our children’s futures” – Moving testimonies in court from Extinction Rebellion protestors
Three Extinction Rebellion protesters gave moving speeches, as they appeared at City of London Magistrates Court, charged with taking part in central London demonstrations.
They pleaded not guilty to charges of causing “serious disruption” to the community under Section 14 of the Public Order Act, after their participation in the April 19th Oxford Circus roadblock.
Madeline Adams (63, Swansea), Olivia Camp (48, Swansea) and Anna Hope (44, East Sussex) were taken into police custody after refusing to vacate the site or relocate to Marble Arch, nearby.
Miss Adams, a veteran climate activist, explained to the court how her environmental concerns had “fallen on deaf ears”. Fighting tears, she recounted the 1966 Aberfan disaster, that took the lives of 116 children; making a point of the disastrous repercussions of government inaction.
Body-cam footage showed the protesters going “floppy” after being asked to relocate, requiring multiple officers to carry them off site. Chants of “We love you” were heard from other activists at the roadblock.
Commanding officer Superintendent Duncan McMillan told the court that his decision to implement Section 14 was due to the protests causing “serious disruption” to the wider London community.
Describing herself as “a conscientious protector of the earth”, Novelist Miss Hope told the court that fears for the life of her 2-year-old daughter made it her “moral duty” to join the protest.
Addressing critics of the protests, Miss Hope said: “Road blocks won’t make a difference when you’re up to your knees in water because of flooding”.
When asked by the court clerk whether anything would have prevented her from following the orders of the arresting officer, she replied “only my conscience”.
The case continues.
