An Extinction Rebellion activist who stopped a freight train carrying 2,500 tonnes of wood pellets to the DRAX power station in Selby, Yorkshire, walked free from court on Monday 22 July despite being found guilty of a criminal charge with a maximum two-year jail term.
DRAX: calling out its greenwashing
English teacher and grandmother Karen Wildin climbed on a carriage roof of the train heading for DRAX in November 2021:
BREAKING NEWS: 👀👀@XRebellionUK activist on top Of #Drax train importing 2,400 tonnes of #biofuel demanding #cop26 agree to a moratorium for 6 months whilst the world finds a solution to the #Climate and Ecological Emergency
💚🌏💚
Video credit: William Watson pic.twitter.com/dwDyWx0uUr— COP_Extinction Rebellion (@COP_XR) November 12, 2021
Her protest was filmed and shared online around the world. It was designed to highlight a shocking greenwash campaign that portrays the power station as a source of renewable energy:
In fact, DRAX burns through 14 million tonnes of wood every year. It is one of the UK’s biggest carbon emitters. It heavily contributes to the climate crisis.
A jury at Leeds Crown Court found Karen, from Leicester, guilty of obstructing the train after the Judge Guy Kearl told them that they could not acquit her if their conscience told them she was not guilty – despite that being a principle so deeply ingrained in British legal tradition that it appears on a plaque outside the country’s most famous court, the Old Bailey in London.
On 22 July, the judge announced he was not going to jail Karen. Instead, he sentenced her to a conditional discharge for two years and a £3,000 fine:
‼️ #XRUK rebel who stopped a planet-wrecking freight train carrying 2,500 tonnes of wood pellets to the #DRAX power station in Yorkshire walked free from court despite being found guilty of a criminal charge with a maximum two-year jail term.
➡️https://t.co/e0ui92RuEF#AxeDrax pic.twitter.com/k3eLSlvGIS— Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 (@XRebellionUK) July 22, 2024
Karen Wildin: “I stand by my actions”
Outside of the court building, Karen said:
I stand by my actions because what I did wasn’t about stopping a train – it was about stopping the destruction of our planet.
The true crime lies in the environmental carnage caused by DRAX’s operations, not in my peaceful protest.
The carbon emissions and deforestation caused by this power station are hidden by greenwashing and subsidised by our government and I felt it was my duty to expose all of it to the public gaze. I’m proud that I’ve done so despite it coming at the cost of a criminal conviction.
We must hold corporations accountable and demand a sustainable, honest approach to energy production. The fines and sentences won’t deter our commitment to this cause because fighting for our planet’s health is not a crime – it’s a necessity.
Now I urge the governments of the world to do their duty and stop climate breakdown and these environmental injustices so that thousands of activists like me don’t have to put our lives and liberty on the line to make them do their jobs.
DRAX: its actions cannot be ignored & Extinction Rebellion won’t
Supporting Karen’s actions, leading climate scientist Dr. Emily Turner said:
Karen’s actions bring much-needed attention to the urgent crisis we face. The environmental impact of corporations like Drax cannot be ignored if we are to have any chance of mitigating climate change. Halting the destruction of our forests is critical for our planet’s future.
Amelia Roberts is a prominent human rights expert. She criticised the judge’s decision to deny Karen any legal defence. Roberts said the judge’s decision to tell the jury that they could not act on their conscience to find her not guilty was “deeply troubling”.
She added:
The right to protest and to defend oneself in court are fundamental human rights. Karen’s case highlights the challenges faced by environmental activists in their fight for justice and the protection of our planet.
Featured image via Extinction Rebellion
