‘Extinction Rebellion Seven’ in Court for Shell Action
September 05, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion
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- Seven Extinction Rebellion protestors to appear at City of London Magistrates Court on Friday
- Charges relate to a non-violent direct action at Shell’s London Headquarters during April’s Rebellion
- Defendants expected to plead not-guilty and to be tried in the Crown Court before a jury
Seven Extinction Rebellion protesters are to be charged with causing criminal damage to Shell’s London headquarters during April’s Rebellion.[1]
The seven defendants will attend a plea hearing at City of London Magistrates Court on Friday (6 September).
Charges relate to a non-violent direct action to highlight Shell’s decades-long knowledge of the disastrous consequences of climate change, and its campaign to deny the truth and mislead the public.
Evidence unearthed by Dutch journalists shows that Shell understood during the 1980s that uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions could eventually put its core businesses at risk and alter ecosystems, putting much of the world’s population in peril. [2].
The seven defendants who will attend the plea hearing are: David Lambert, Katerina Hasapopoulos, Senan Clifford, Sid Saunders, Jane Augsburger, Ian Bray, and Simon Bramwell.
With some defendants pleading not guilty it’s expected that a full trial by jury will take place early next year. If so, this would be the third Extinction Rebellion case to reach the Crown Court. Jury trials for those who took part in the two actions on the Docklands Light Railway during the April Rebellion are scheduled to take place in December this year and May 2020.
Between 50-60 people charged with public order offences during the April Rebellion will also be appearing at City of London Magistrates Court on Friday. Nearly 300 have now been charged with many pleading not guilty and awaiting trial.
Quotes
Defendant David Lambert, 60, said: “We intend to plead Not Guilty and we look forward to explaining our actions before a jury in the Crown Court. We acted in alignment with our beliefs, with our moral consciences and on behalf of justice.”
Defendant Simon Bramwell, 47, one of Extinction Rebellion’s co-founders said: “We took action because Climate negotiations have failed to prevent escalating harm. You can’t negotiate with unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes or melting ice caps. We need laws that protect nature and protect our future.
“A criminal law against ecocide would impose a legal duty on governments to protect the planet’s biosphere. Realistically, it’s the only reliable way to force industry and society to change direction.”
Notes for Editors
- April’s Rebellion saw thousands of peaceful citizens taking part in Britain’s largest act of nonviolent civil disobedience in recent decades.
- https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05042018/shell-knew-scientists-climate-change-risks-fossil-fuels-global-warming-company-documents-netherlands-lawsuits
- The press contact at court on Friday is Zoë Blackler on 07918 165 046
About Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion is a global movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of societal collapse – both of which are seen as inevitable if rapid action is not taken to rein in human-induced climate change and biodiversity loss.
Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inaction by their Government.
Extinction Rebellion’s Demands are:
- Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
- Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
- Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.