Just Stop Oil’s so-called ‘Sunak Singers’ have been acquitted, after what was essentially a show trial by the state.
Just Stop Oil’s Sunak Singers
Back in November 2023, a group of 18 Just Stop Oil supporters gathered outside Rishi Sunak’s home in Kensington, London, and made themselves heard by beating pots and pans:
They were demanding that the UK government immediately halts all future licences and consents for fossil fuel exploration in the UK.
Supporters carried placards reading “COP Failure=Crop Failure”, “No rest for the Wicked” and “Arrest the Real Criminals”:
Around 40 Police and several territorial support vehicles arrived from around 8:30pm. The police detained 16 of the Just Stop Oil Sunak Singers under Section 50 of the Police Reform Act. Police requested names and addresses of attendees which were given.
At around 10pm officers began arresting the supporters.
Pia Bastide was present. She remarked:
People with flooded homes can’t sleep. Children dying from starvation can’t sleep. Communities staring down wildfires can’t sleep. So why should climate criminals like Rishi Sunak get a peaceful night’s sleep?
Teenagers are being imprisoned for marching, without ever being convicted of anything. The Met Police should be targeting the real criminals – like Rishi Sunak, and all the oil barons striking slimy deals at COP28.
After the protest, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to charge the Just Stop Oil Sunak Singers under Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1994 – the use of “threatening behaviour” to “cause harassment”. This is despite Sunak and his family not being in the house:
The trial of 8 Just Stop Oil supporters who peacefully sat outside Rishi Sunak's house singing and holding placards last November begins today.
Paul, Rosa, Louise, Diego, Luke, Indigo, Nicole and Pia are all charged with Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1994 – the use of… pic.twitter.com/YFrEoLxwjM
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) October 21, 2024
However, as soon as the trial of the first group of Sunak Singers started on 21 October, it quickly fell apart.
Not guilty – as any reasonable person would have realised
As Just Stop Oil noted:
The prosecution’s witness didn’t show up to court [on 21 October].
Yesterday there were several delays as one of the defendants, Indigo, was failed to be produced from prison by the courts.
The body worn footage showed Police Constable Williams saying “We’ve had a chat with them, they’re peaceful, they have a right to protest.”
All three officers giving evidence admitted the action was peaceful and they witnessed no offence taking place.
Despite all this, the CPS are still choosing to pursue this case.
Then, after all that on 22 October the judge effectively threw the case out. Just Stop Oil said:
After his ruling, District Judge Benjamin said that “everyone on that road was innocent” and advised the CPS to consider dropping the second trial group.
Pia is one of the 16 people arrested at Rishi Sunak's house for "harassment" after sitting with placards and singing.
8 of them were acquitted today because the prosecution's only witness failed to show.
The CPS are being urged to drop the case against the other 8. pic.twitter.com/HS8Is38U8z
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) October 22, 2024
One of the defendants Indigo, who the state kept in prison, said:
Our Criminal Justice system is prioritising the criminalisation of non-violent climate defenders for sitting on the curb outside one of our then prime ministers’ many addresses, days before COP. If this were to happen in Russia, Uganda or Iran we would be quick to point out the injustice.
Chris Packham said:
Alarm bells are ringing! Good! – the world’s leaders are sleep-walking to oblivion, it’s time they woke up to their responsibilities and found the sense and courage to actually lead us towards environmental stability and recovery.
The justice system is working as intended
Just Stop Oil’s Sunak Singers were acquitted just days before a protest will be held outside the Attorney General’s office. It’s over the 50+ activists currently in prison – incarcerated by the state for daring to protest against it.
The trial of this eight shows not that the justice system is broken. It shows that it is working exactly how it should be: defending the interests of the rich and powerful, and the system itself, while subjugating the rest of us – often violently.
Just Stop Oil’s Sunak Singers are just another thin end of the wedge of a system whose proponents are desperately trying to keep it going – at any cost, and at the deadly expense of the rest of us.
Featured image and additional images via Just Stop Oil
