Mostly Peaceful
By Mitch Berg
British climate protesters who blocked the London beltway get seriously slammed in court:
Obstructing a highway is not simple political expression, and it is far from “peaceful protest.” It involves the physical obstruction of others’ freedom of movement. It is also disruptive and potentially tortious conduct that can have severe consequences. In this case, those seeking to “just stop oil” have done little to advance their cause (traffic congestion results in worse fuel economy and increases emissions), but and managed to cause significant harm to others. From the BBC report:
The action resulted in chaos on the M25 over four successive days, causing nearly 51,000 hours of driver delays, the court heard. The protests closed parts of the motorway in Kent, Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire.
People missed flights, medical appointments and exams. Two lorries collided, and a police motorcyclist came off his bike during one of the protests on 9 November 2022 while trying to bring traffic to a halt in a “rolling road block”.
Prosecutors alleged the protests led to an economic cost of at least £765,000, while the cost to the Metropolitan Police was put at more than £1.1m.
The activsits and their allies also sought to disrupt the trial, but to no avail.
Wonder if Mary Moriarty is paying attention?
July 22nd, 2024 at 6:43 am
It’s my opinion that any idiot or group of idiots that block traffic for any protest, should receive a mandatory two years in prison. If anyone dies due to inability to get anyone experiencing a medical incident or accident on said roadway(s), they should be charged as accessories and receive minimum of five years.