Quaker ‘Insulate Britain’ activist charges dropped
‘We try to show defiance of the system while being as respectful as possible to people like the judge, who is doing his job.’
A Quaker Insulate Britain activist had his charges of contempt of court quashed last week when a judge decided that he had not broken the government’s M25 injunction last autumn.
Arne Springorum of Prague Meeting, a former attender at Wandsworth Meeting, was one of nineteen defendants on trial at the High Court on 1 February and 2 February.
William Davis, the judge, ruled that there was insufficient evidence for the charge. Arne Springorum, Liam Norton and Jess Causby were told they were free to leave after having told the judge that it had been their intention to break the M25 injunction on the day they were arrested.
Eleven other defendants were each given sentences of between twenty-four and sixty days, suspended for two years, on condition that they do not break the government’s motorway injunction in that time.
Insulate Britain pointed out that the leniency of the sentences was in contrast to the jail terms of three and six months handed out to the first group of people from Insulate Britain to be convicted, on 17 November.
Arne Springorum said he was pleased that he could still read his mitigation statement in court, joining other defendants. The statements argued that the disruption caused was necessary and proportionate to the scale of the crisis we face. He also hung a banner from the Royal Courts of Justice. Four defendants glued themselves to the building and got custodial sentences. ‘We try to show defiance of the system while being as respectful as possible to people like the judge, who is doing his job,’ said the Prague Quaker, who was upheld by members of Wandsworth Meeting.
He told the Friend: ‘I had a Clearness Meeting last week with some Quakers from Britain and some from the Europe and the Middle East Section of Friends Worldwide Committee for Consultation, and felt reaffirmed in my leading and ministry to reach out and challenge Friends on our reaction and action, in light of the climate and ecological emergency.’
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