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Dear Attorney General, Richard Hermer KC,
This week has seen one of the greatest injustices in a British court in modern history. On Thursday 18th July, five people were given the highest sentences for nonviolent protest this country has ever seen. They were on trial for holding a zoom call, calling on others to take action to raise the alarm about the greatest threat humanity has ever faced: the climate and nature crises.
These sentences were handed down just days after the new government’s policy of no new licensing for oil and gas infrastructure was announced. In a world of sound, evidence-based governance, none of this needed to happen. With prisons at breaking point and the new government acting urgently to address this, how can these sentences be seen as anything other than insanity? The sentences, ranging from 4 to 5 years, are higher than those given to many who commit serious sexual assault.
The defendants were denied the right to explain to a jury why they took the action they did, making a mockery of the right to a fair trial, with the judge saying that the Crown Prosecution’s agreed facts on climate collapse – including that the world has gone beyond 1.5 degrees for 12 consecutive months – were “neither here nor there”. These five brave, defiant people, like all nonviolent protestors, are fulfilling a necessary service by alerting the nation to the grave risk we all face, as scientists in their droves express their fear that many of the Earth’s systems are already at breaking point.
Immediately after the verdict, the UN’s special rapporteur on environmental defenders issued an extraordinary statement: “Today marks a dark day for peaceful environmental protest, the protection of environmental defenders and indeed anyone concerned with the exercise of their fundamental freedoms in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."
According to the Office for National Statistics, 74% of people in the UK want urgent action on the climate crisis. Until a couple of weeks ago that majority was blocked by a Prime Minister who used climate – an existential threat – as a wedge issue in an election he lost. This new government has inherited a suite of recent legislation that conflicts with International Human Rights Law, and has put everyone’s right to peaceful protest at risk. The new government can address this now, as they have with fossil fuel licensing.
The world stands at a crossroads and so does our democracy. We write in support of Chris Packham and Dale Vince’s request for an urgent meeting with you, to be recorded so it is transparent to the public, to discuss the jailing of truth tellers and their silencing in court.
Sincerely, and with love for all humanity,
Rowan Williams
Chrissie Hynde
Danny Boyle
Es Devlin
Sir David King
Robin Ince
James Hansen, Climate Scientist
Cornelia Parker CBE
Matt Black
Juliet Stevenson
Brian Eno
Chris Packham
Ben Okri
Carice van Houten
Bella Freud
Monique Roffey
Dr Alex Lockwood
Jay Griffiths
Frankie Boyle
Adam McKay
Chris Martin
Annie Lennox
Susan Wokoma
Lemn Sissay
Alfie Allen
Bianca Jagger
Russell Tovey
Jarvis Cocker
Sian Berry MP
Clive Lewis MP
Maxine Peake
Stewart Lee
Alexei Sayle
Steve Coogan
Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC
Peter Stefanovic
Farhana Yamin
Professor David Whyte
Professor Magaretha Wewerinke-Singh
Inga Hamilton
Bette Adriaanse
Matthew Todd
Tracey Seaward
Jeremy Deller
Ivor Williams
Scott Ainslie
Dr. Terry L. Rankin
Lucy Greenwell
Harriet Walter
Misan Harriman
Lisa Appignanesi OBE
Natasha Walter, writer
Lise Mayer
Michael Collins
M J Richardson
Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Anthony Barnett
Alfonso Cuarón
Sunetra Sarker
Yanis Varoufakis
Suneil Setiya
David Lan
Roman Krznaric
Sir Jonathan Pryce
Toby Litt
Robert Wyatt
Alfreda Benge
Natalie Abrahami
Judith Herrin
Trudie Goodwin
Chloe Aridjis
James Schneider
Roger Hartley
Frances Morris
Kristoffer Sonne
Dr. Genevieve Guenther
Deborah Curtis
Mark Ellingham
Ramón Salgado-Touzón
David Vetter
Robin Boardman - Extinction Rebellion Co-Founder
Dr Ellie Chowns MP
Dr. Larch Maxey
David L. Windt
Victoria Harwood Kapadia
Margot Paez
Laetitia Moreau-Gabarain
Professor Steve Keen
Karen Boylan
Prof Jem Bendell
Ricardo Nunes
Alberto Rojas Newton
Stephen Merrill Smith, J.D., LL.M.
Kate Smurthwaite
Jolyon Rubinstein
Guillermo Schnitman
Prof Colin Davis
Flavia Broffoni
Julia Steinberger
Joshua Wright
Daniel Lismore
George Tsakraklides
Tracey Dunn
Benjamin P Taylor
Jon Osman
Dr Brian Jones
Dr Maria Solla
Prem Sikka
David Whyte
Linda Griffiths
Jenny Jones
Sieger Sloot
Peter Gabriel
David Powell
Michael Morris
Susi Arnott
Johanna MacMahon
Michael W Merry
Tanya Franks
Imogen heap
Mark Lynas
ED O’Brien
Dan Kidby
Sasha Jolliffe
Maartje Wortel
Caroline Lucas
Sarah Cresswell
F. Heemskerk
Pea Channon
James Foster
Janice Arenstein
Dr Iain McGill MRCVS
Nicola James
Samuel West
Niña Weijers
Teri Cardinalli
Maria Chenoweth
Laura Wade
Christopher Julien
Sofka Zinovieff
Richard Smith
Jo Syz
Roc Sandford
Tim Booth
Nick Laird-Clowes
Pandora Ormsby-gore
Phoebe Tickell
Ruben van der Meer
Philip Pullman
Carla Denyer MP
Boff Whalley
Inge Swinkels
Dr James Hutton
Laurette Schilling
Brigit Strawbridge
Mike Rendle
Shaun Keaveny
Paul Ewen
Stephen Barlow
Nick Dearden
Claire Mellier
Michael Pawlyn
Rich Wilson
Anniek Pheifer
Katy Honor
Sharon Morgan
Alyson Rogers
Kathleen Jamie
Lauri Love
Professor Graham Smith
Martin Booth
Tracy Keeling
April De Angelis
Safia Minney MBE
Helen O'Sullivan
Dr. Keir Milburn
Reece Dinsdale
Lucy Tammam
Polly Kemp
Joel Willans
Georgia Mackenzie
Michael Hrebeniak
Joanna Briscoe
Dominic Mafham
Jackie walker
Asad Rehman
Connie Hyde
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Natalie Bennett
Sandi Toksvig
Liam Bergin
Delyth Jewell MS
Robert Fripp
Dr Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh
Nicole Feuersenger
Jon Pfeiffer
Dr Philip Proudfoot
Elizabeth Slade
Amanda Johnston
Victoria Jenkins
Paul Foulkes-Arellano
Dr Abi Perrin
Jaffa Saba
Dr James Miller
Lindsey Coulson
Alison McGarry
Joe Hesmondhalgh
Mrs J A
Bill McGuire
Natalie Binns
Mark Hunter
Jim Vogiatzis
Jane Tomkins
Suzi Kobrin
Francis Spufford
Alex Clatworthy
Farhana Yamin
Dr Emily Grossman
Professor Richard Vogler
Dr Gail Bradbrook
Branwen Llewellyn
Dr Kyra Neubauer
Jim
Helen Masters
Uschi Turoczy
Bessie Carter
Sara Stewart
Steven George
Julian Summerhayes
Daniel Holroyde
Kai Bastard
Bethan Cullinane
Rev Mark Hutchinson
J Mark Dodds
Catherine love
Dr Marc Hudson
Joby Waldman
Geoff Levermore
George Monbiot
Louise Christian
Amy Shelton
Prof Jeff Waage OBE
Professor Jeremy Till
Adam Buxton
Sarah Buxton
Tracey Seaward
Rev Matthew F Smith
Marina Warner CH DBE
Wendy Pettifer LlB MA
Joseph May
Peter Jukes
Edward Lewis
Dr Feja Lesniewska
Heydon Prowse
Martin Fisher
Camilla Sorensen
Robert WILSON THOMAS, BSc(Hons), Barrister-at-Law
Mary Coates
Sarah Tinker
Denise wynne
Chris Morris
Jo Verrent
Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC
Fiona Romeo
Flip Webster
Julie Graham
Dee Day
Ashley Grossman
Keith J Webb
Kai Bastard
Alexis Bamforth
Chittranjan Dubey
Gerad Kite
Henrietta Mcmicking
Ed Gillespie
Lucy Wilson
Ruby Thomas
Rev. Sheena Gabriel
Rufus Gerrard-Wright
Profssor John Moxham
Luisa Le Voguer
Christoph Schwarte
Jo Roach
Kate Pullinger
Eva Chrysostomou
Sandrine Dixson-Decleve
Abaigeal Van Deerlin
David Hesmondhalgh
Jackie Al Said
Mark Wallinger
Prof. Matthew Beaumont
Ryan Bestford
Lauren Chaplin
Lex Shrapnel
Amir Amirani
Catrin Dafydd
Sonita Gale
Joe Boyd
Melanie Gutteridge
Peter Walker
Robert Macfarlane
Prof. Kevin Anderson
Bianca hlywa
Claire Sheppard
Robert Del Naja
Willow Burke
Marcus Lyon
Dominic Mcgill
Jente Posthuma
Mimi Lipton
Kathy Lette
Bel Lyon
Paul Parker, Quakers in Britain
Leyla Pope
Bianca Pitt
Lloyd Davis
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Pamela Fitzpatrick
tanya michaels
Nick Holder
Joe Alessi
Dr Charlie Gardner
John Dunkley
Ayoub Khan MP
Sandy Abrahams
Ash Sarkar
Natasha Jenkins
Peter Stefanovic
MR. SABAH AL-MUKHTAR
Julian Bild
Cameron Mitchell
Gilly Chegwyn
Russell Jones
Sooz Kempner
Julian Glover
John Max Smith
Henry Porter
Clare Reddington
Jason Okundaye
Rituraj Phukan
Rachel Sermanni
Tony Colman
Paul Nelson
Prof Alastair Driver
Tobias Menzies
Josh Appignanesi
Andy Hobsbawm
Devorah Baum
Jon Long
Sylvie Leggatt
Susie Orbach
Kate Rutter
Laline Paull FRSL
Jennifer
Martin Pope
Frances Clark
Adam Marley
Louise Cox Chester
Lucy Coats
Ben Smoke
Paul Hilton
Orlando collins
Caroline Goyder
Shon Faye
Charlie Waterhouse
Marion Rowsell
Andrew Terry
Nina Hertoghs
Simon
Joey Connolly
Louis Collins
Jente Posthuma
Adrian Peacock
Areeba Hamid & Will McCallum
Yasmin Gregory
Iqbal Mohamed MP
Len Gwyn
Bryn Reynolds
Katie Day
Shockat Adam MP
Yannina Captain
Peter Tatchell
John McDonnell MP
Alastair Boag
Oona O’Brien
Matthew Wilson
Clara Vulliamy
Rosie Simmons
Divina de Campo
Devorah Baum
Richard RidingsDavid Fenton
Professor Adam Hart
Philippa Vick
Clare Patey
Michael E. Mann, ForMemRS
Adnan Hussain
Christina Eckes
Alison Goldfrapp
Dr Melisa Basol
Adnan Hussain MP
Judy Ling Wong CBE
Sarah Staton
Dr Svitlana Romanko
Andrew Hudson
Lord Cashman CBE
Alexander Ač
Daphne Wysham
Dana R Fisher
Gareth Evans
Kenny Bruno
Alan Davies
Alex Tiffin
Emma Schofield
Theresa Higginson
Sarah dyer
Alex Garland
Andrew James
Nicola Harries
Jonathan Glazer
Professor Helen Steward
Monika Sobiecki
Professor Jenny Pickerill
Emma Gilpin Jacobs
Zoë Blackler
Lucy von Sturmer
George Marigold
Kirsty Badenoch
Adam Hasz
Mark Thomas
Ian Rickson
Manda Scott
Annette James
RASHMI CHOPRA
Prof. John Smith
Stephen Kretzmann
Martin Wroe
Annette James
Ben Rivers
David Roberts
Melinda Janki
Julia Brown
Husayn Kassai
Tessa Wernink
Brit Marling
Andrew Dessler
Xiaolu Guo
Natasha Lyonne
Inua Ellams
Ella Saltmarshe
Neil Bye
Rev Duncan Voice
Liam Cunningham
Dr John Fass
Monisha Rajesh
Maria Pires
Karen Persad
El Long
Amy Brookes
Justin Stead
Lauren MacDonald
Sohayalla Wilson
Judith Callaghan
Neil Bye
Annette Huspeth
rafael vodo
Annette Elder
Emily Johnston
Henry Morris
KIFAMPA MARTIN
Nathan G. Phillips, PhD
Anna Guyer
Prof Fiona Candlin
Prof Lyla Mehta
Geoff Allan
Emma Sangster
Elaine Hallam
Debbie David
Sue Cooper
Adrian Lahoud
Gavin Everall
Julia Zemiro
Gaite Jansen
Marianne Williamson
Annette Hudpseth
Samantha Skennerton
Barbara McFarlane
Rónán Ó Dálaigh
Sarah Christian
Kate Raworth
Ben Rawlence
Esmeralda de Belgique
Sarah Beddington
Jon Goodbun
Garth Cartwright
Deborah Frances~White
Magali Gómez
Prof. David Wengrow
Nadia Sawalha
Carole Tovey
Nadia sawalha
Ben Alden-Falconer
Ramez Naam
Jonny Buckland
Guy Berryman
Will Champion
Mim Stenning
Phil Harvey
Jessica Hynes
Gregg Taylor KC
GG
Su Gray
Etiene Stott MBE
Nadine Shah
Dino Fetscher
Chris Pulman
Adam Kay
Sarah-jayne Benfield
Mike Adams
Helen Bradbury
Serena Schellenberg
Prof Barry Percy-Smith
Martin Atkinson
Will Attenborough
Lynn Michell, PhD
Raphael Thelen
Joanna VanderHam
juan cruz obeid
Errollyn Wallen
Elizabeth Woods
Robert Oulton
Ben tolhurst
Dan Tipney
Ann Pettifor
Paul Bateman
Professor Keith Stenning
Richard Benwell
Alice Timms
Dave Hampton
Anne Maclachlan
Rabbi Jeffrey Newman
Terry Eagleton
Anthea Kennedy
Stella Assange
Lola Perrin
Sir Jonathon Espie Porritt CBE
Rob La Frenais
Kulvinder Gill
Emily Hayman
Héctor
Laura Jeffery
David Dicks
Katharine K. Wilkinson, DPhil
N Joyce
R Nightingale
Helen Kinsella
R Nightingale
Sameera Hamid
Kate Caroe
Louisa Ziane
Tracey Emin DBE
Peter Kalmus
James Norton
Mandi Symonds
Rafaela Nicolay
Esther Freud
Gerry Simpson
Dal Kular
Catherine Mahony
Celine Condorelli
Professor Amy Dickman
Paul Kenworthy
Margaret Klein Salamon
Elle Reynolds
Rachel Steele
Tess Chodan
Chris Leggatt
Shaun Chamberlin
Aseem Shrivastava
Clover Hogan
Kieron Gabbey
Steven Donziger
Phoenix Scott
Emma Caroe
Chris Heaton
Jo Unwin
Dr Brett Staniland
Bridie Leggatt
Keya Chatterjee
Alan Minsky
Rose Abramoff
Kim Stanley Robinson
Tamsin Oglesby
Dr. J Mijin Cha
Jessica Townsend
Dani Romero
Ashish Kothari
Greg Anderson
Dr. Uygar Özesmi
Britt Baatjes
Andrew Jacobs
David Barkin
Kate Bradbury
mike reed
Myles Allen
Sarah Hadland
Graham Barratt
Tessa McWatt
Anouchka Grose
Eileen Pembridge
Matilda Swinton
Marina Prentoulis
Dr James Miller
Gc
Judith Hammond
David Watkinson
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Joseph Corre
Hannah Prins
Caroline Forster
Dr Rabhya Dewshi
Deborah Walsh
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Rob Dreaming
April Jones
Suzy Willson
Oliver Sworder
Rob Dreaming
Ronan Toal
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Rose Rouse
Milla Clarke
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Susie Boyt
Ray Tomkins
Peter Jenkinson OBE
Phoebe Reith
Carola Rackete
Yes
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Jo Rendle
Cindy Peter
Zoe Young
Kirsty Lister
Easter Russell
Anitra Nelson
Jenifer Toksvig
Elia Valentini
ECM Cheung
Fay Milton
Hazuan Hashim
Annabel lloyd
Caoilinn Hughes
Elly Jackson
Jo Shippam
Patrick Barkham
James Brown
Dr Robert Butler
Nick Hornby
Antonia Courcier
MARTIN MARQUEZ
Anna-Maria Casson
Philip Selway
Sarah Wood
Luke Neal
Veronika Covington
P. Walsch
K. Hendry
Howard Covington
Dr Jane Kostelnik
Sadenia “EDDI” Reader
Jon Hopkins
Richard Mabey
Emily Young
Amy-Jane Beer
Yes
Michel Faber
Professor Mark Maslin
nick hayes
Tom Walker
Dr Matt York
Penny Casson
Kay Wagland
Michael J McEvoy
Mark Cocker
Kim Rickwood
Stephen McNeilly
Tom Goodman
Bill McKibben
Lira valencia
Tess King
Ben Pitman
Klara Taussig
Lynne Madden
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
George Duffield
Helen Pankhurst
Sean Irving
Michael Hoffman
Dr AmirtheVernie Balasubramaniam
Melissa Zulle
Guy Shrubsole
Jo Unwin
Malcolm Garrett MBE RDI
Jimmy Livingstone
Sam Lee
Prof Paul Behrens
John Carruthers
Clare Halsted PhD Oly
Yomi Adegoke
Oliver Ford Davies OBE
Dan Gillespie Sells
John McCrea
Andrew Feinstein
Jenifer Armitage
Jo Osborne
Eddie Dempsey
ELENA PALOMO
Halina
Kevin Courtney
Kai Heron
Daniela tramonti
Danny Donaldson
Greg Skinner
Paul Hanley
David Flusfeder
Salena Godden
Declan Owens
Julie Hanley
George Dixone