Lobbying, protest and witness
‘No case to answer.’ The Court of Appeal’s verdict for the ‘Stansted 15’.
Friends continued their witness last year with more taking part in Extinction Rebellion (XR) action, as well as Insulate Britain and youth climate strikes. In a year where the fundamental principle of protest came under threat with the imminent policing bill, Quakers took to the street to act out their testimonies. This included protesting against the Liverpool Electronic Arms Fair and taking part in ‘Kill the Bill’ protests, where Bristol Friends acted as legal observers. Around 100 Quakers joined other Stop the Arms Fair protests at the Defence Security Equipment and International (DSEI) arms fair in September. Friends laid themselves out in the rain to stop people from attending the event, sang peace songs and glued themselves together as part of their witness. Unlike previous years, no Friends were arrested.
