Louise Lancaster’s birthday celebrated at Defend Our Juries protest outside Cambridge Crown Court
Protesters gathered outside Cambridge Crown Court on the 59th birthday of Grantchester teacher Louise Lancaster to call for the release of 23 peaceful protesters imprisoned - some for taking action on climate change, others calling for an end to arms sales to Israel.
Louise Lancaster was one of five Just Stop Oil protesters - the Whole Truth Five - found guilty in July of planning to protest against new oil and gas licences being issued.
The five were found guilty of ‘conspiracy to cause a public nuisance’, after Judge Christopher Hehir removed all legal defences available to them, and ruled that information about the climate crisis could not be submitted as evidence as it was ‘inadmissible opinion or belief’. Louise Lancaster is serving a four-year prison sentence.
In total, 23 protesters from the climate protest group Just Stop Oil are currently detained in UK prisons.
They are joined by 15 protesters from the group Palestine Action, whose actions are intended to highlight and disrupt the supply of weapons to the Israeli military for use in the assault on Gaza - deemed a plausible genocide by the International Court of Justice - where the death toll now stands at more than 40,000 killed since 8 October 2023.
From 8.45am until 10am on Monday (23 September), the protesters sat outside the court on City Road holding signs reading ‘Jurors deserve to hear the whole truth’ and ‘Stop jailing truth tellers’, in reference to the prisoners, known collectively as the ‘Whole Truth Five’ because, during their trial, they were prohibited from talking about their climate change motives. Placards also displayed photographs of the Whole Truth Five, and a place was left for Louise, occupied instead by an artwork representing Planet Earth.
Zoe Flint, a retired scientist, grandmother and participant in Monday’s action, said: “I have known Louise for five years and am proud to call this kind, caring, selfless and brave person my friend. She has been fearless in standing up for a liveable future in the face of the devastating climate crisis, putting herself in the firing lines of our brutal judicial system. Non-violent direct action works: it’s a hard road, but one she’s taken with a willing heart for the sake of all life on Earth.
“While in prison, Louise has also stepped up, helping fellow inmates with literacy and emotional issues, and running a bike maintenance course.
“Her message to those of us on the outside, selfless as always, is not to worry about her, but to stay focused on the climate and ecosystem emergency. However, we believe the injustice of her imprisonment should be righted immediately. Louise and all other political prisoners should be released without delay.”
One of the organisers of the event said afterwards: “There were no arrests, no police presence, and no trouble with the court. We were there from 8.45qm to 10am: around 40 protesters took part.
“Louise called after the action. She’s in good spirits on the whole and has been moved to Send prison [in Surrey] to be with the two other imprisoned female protesters there, having been moved from Bronzefield.
“She knew we were there today, for her birthday. She did the very first Defend Our Juries protest in Cambridge on her own outside the Crown Court.”
Another of the protesters said: “Behind each one of the environmental activists currently in prison is the story of an extraordinary human being and a community that grieves for them. On her birthday, we wanted to share Lou’s story and mark her courage.”
The jailing of peaceful protesters in July has become a cause célèbre in the UK. A petition calling for a public meeting was signed by 60,000 people and has been presented to the Attorney General. On Friday (27 September), protesters will gather outside Southwark Crown Court, where peaceful protesters Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland are to be sentenced by Judge Christopher Hehir.
The five were found guilty of ‘conspiracy to cause a public nuisance’, after Judge Hehir removed all legal defences available to them, and ruled that information about the climate crisis could not be submitted as evidence as it was ‘inadmissible opinion or belief’.
