Trials

Mark Øvland: What my Heart Was Asking of Me

October 03, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

This morning, Mark Øvland (pictured far right) was one of six activists who used a fire engine to spray fake blood over the front of the Treasury Building in London. Mark is already awaiting a Crown Court trial for an action on the Docklands Light Railway during the April Rebellion. Last week, after appearing in Magistrates Court on yet another charge, for a protest in February against International Petroleum Week, Mark wrote this post on his Facebook page. “Hello friends, I have a funny feeling this will be my last post for a while.

Crown Court DLR Petroleum 9
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Video: Ruth Jarman’s Day in Court

October 02, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

Ruth Jarman, 56, a mother of three from Hampshire who works for a small Christian charity, was found guilty last week after standing trial at Hendon Magistrates Court. She was given a 12 months conditional discharge and a total of £640 costs. Film-maker Peter Armstrong recorded this video of Ruth’s day in court. The mitigation statement she delivered before Deputy Chief Magistrate Judge Ikram is published below. You can also read Ruth’s own account of the trial here. “I am a Christian and a mother. My faith requires me to ‘serve and preserve’ the earth; it requires…

April Rebellion Christian Climate Action Mitigation statements Section 14 Video
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Court Report: Ruth Jarman finds the law at odds with morality

October 02, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

Extinction Rebellion’s Ruth Jarman was on trial last Monday at Hendon Magistrates Court. The 56-year old mother of three from Hampshire, and member of Christian Climate Action (CCA), gives her account of the trial – from cross-examining a policeman to breaking down in tears. Watch Peter Armstrong’s video of the day here. Finally I’m here in court, wishing I’d dressed less like I was going to a wedding, with three CCA supporters. One, Christine, is forcing oranges, cereal bars and smiles at every opportunity. Peter, who I met for the first time, had maybe spent more time…

April Rebellion Christian Climate Action Court report Hampshire Section 14
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A Message From the Heart to All Our Arrestees

October 02, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

Because we wanted to say THANK YOU to all our amazing arrestees, the Extinction Rebellion art blockers printed up this special edition pink patch which we’ll be handing out at court. If you’d like to claim yours, please get in touch via zoe.blackler@protonmail.com and we’ll find a way to get it to you. Photographs by Helena Smith. Cecily Bedner, 20, a film and digital arts student from Plymouth James Ryle, 53, university project manager from Bristol Roman Paluch-Machnik, 26, admin assistant from London Philippa Tomlinson, bearing acorns Bee Ivanova, 25, a research assistant in linguistics, originally from Bulgaria…

April Rebellion Portraits Section 14
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Louis, 25, from Sheffield: One of Five Arrestees Featured in Today’s Guardian

October 01, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

The Guardian published a couple of pieces today: A news piece about all the trials that have started along with a series of mini-profiles of five of our defendants. Among those featured is 25-year old PHD student Louis Brijmohun, pictured above left at his plea hearing last week with fellow XR Sheffield member Heather Hunt, also a defendant. Louis told the Guardian: “I thought I knew what climate change was – it was one of the things alongside, say, homelessness and poverty that we needed to tackle urgently. But as I began to read these academic papers,…

April Rebellion Media Watch Section 14 Sheffield XR Students
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Video: Why I Became an Activist

September 30, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

Tom Hardy, 65, is a semi-retired teacher and academic writer from Islington, London. He will be on trial in January: “Our parents’ generation feared enemy action. Our children’s generation fear inaction. And the actions that we have taken this year have been more vital than anything.” Last October, I woke up one fine morning, switched on the radio, and heard that we had 12 years left. I had led a carefree life up until then, but the idea of being carefree was no longer a thing. I suddenly had images of my children’s generation being one that will witness the…

April Rebellion London Section 14 Teachers Trials Video Writers
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A rare and fine result for Elinor Milne

September 30, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

On Friday 20 September, Elinor Milne (far left) a 35 year old human rights worker who is planning to adopt a child, became the first of our defendants to receive an absolute discharge – an extremely rare and significant result. Judge Snow decided not to impose punishment, despite Elinor’s guilty plea, out of concern for “an infant in need of a loving home”. This is the statement she read out in court before he made his decision. “Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Firstly, I would like to apologise to those people whose lives were disrupted…

April Rebellion News Plea hearings Section 14 XR Jews
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What did you do when the Earth was unravelling?

September 30, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

Jane Baker, 64, a retired NHS speech therapist from Exeter read out this statment in mitigation when she pleaded guilty to “not moving when asked from Waterloo Bridge”. She was appearing at City of London Magistrates Court on 6th September before District Judge Rimmer.“I want to apologise for the necessary disruption caused at the April Rebellion. This has been quite a week for me. Yesterday I retired from 38 years of Public Service in the NHS. Today I am in court for a Public Order Offence for my part in Extinction Rebellion’s non-violent direct action. Tomorrow is my Grandson Zachary’s…

Devon Grandparents Health practitioners Mitigation statements
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Court Dispatches

September 30, 2019 By Zoe Blackler

During the April Rebellion, over 1,000 people were arrested. Teachers and tradesmen, doctors and carers, gardeners and psychotherapists, teenagers and grandparents: Ordinary people of every age from every walk of life, and from around the country helped sound the alarm on the climate and ecological crisis.  Nearly all of those people are now being prosecuted through the magistrates courts, with many pleading not guilty and trials set to take place through to January and beyond.  A number of others who committed more serious offences – disrupting a Docklands Light Railway train, shattering a window at Shell’s HQ – are awaiting…

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