Green councillor in court over Extinction Rebellion protests

A Green councillor has been given a conditional discharge for refusing to move on from an Extinction Rebellion protest in April.

David Gibson, who represents Hanover and Elm Grove, took part in the climate crisis protests on April 17 and was one of hundreds to refuse to move on from Oxford Circus.

Last week, he appeared at City of London Magistrates Court and was found guilty of the public order offence – but given a conditional discharge. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £20 and costs of £310.

Today, two more Brighton residents, Claudia Fisher, 57, and Pheobe Valentine, 23, will appear at the same court in connection with the Extinction Rebellion protests at City Airport on October 10, 2019, where they glued themselves to the floor.

They will be supported by former chief scientific adviser to the UK government, Sir David King, who has written an expert statement for the defence.

Councillor Gibson said: “I was found guilty of refusing to move away from the XR protest area in Oxford Circus to Marble Arch. Myself and hundreds of others were calling for the government to declare a climate emergency and to act.

“As recent experience shows, devastating fires in Australia and flooding in this country, it is more urgent than ever for government to act.

“In court I argued that peaceful action was a proportionate and reasonable response to prevent governments sleepwalking towards the human suffering and species extinction that goes with global warming.

“I reminded the court of the Aberfan tragedy in Wales in the 1960s, in which a landslide buried around 100 school children.

“Had the engineers and scientists known of the danger, then the public would have expected the authorities to act to prevent the deaths. We do know about climate change and its dangers, the science is clear and has been for 30 years – yet carbon emissions are still rising.

“It is for this reason that many people are calling on the government to respond.

“The decision of a conditional discharge was expected- this is basically a payment of court costs. But, importantly, the judge and prosecution said that they did not dispute the science and the need to act.

“Time is running out, we need to be carbon neutral by 2030, and my view is that the government must provide additional legislation resources to achieve this.

“People here and around the world are already witnessing a climate in crisis, tomorrow’s children will suffer on a much more massive scale if we don’t act now.”

Fisher and Valentine will appear alongside David Lambert, 60, and Senan Clifford, 59, both of Gloucestershire and Ben Bont, 42, from West Wales in a two-day hearing.

Sir David, who served as chief scientific adviser under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has provided the defence with a written statement.

He intends to be at the court for the start of the trial and sit in the public gallery to watch the legal argument about whether his evidence will be admitted. He has also said he is prepared to read his statement on the steps of the court.

In the statement, Sir David says “vocal public concern” has played an important role in raising awareness of climate change and pressuring politicians to take action.

He praises Greta Thunberg, describing her as “one of the people who could be said to be setting the agenda, and prompting political parties and organisations to consider their position”.

He said: “Extinction Rebellion is playing a similarly important role in the UK and elsewhere. The attention of news media and the pressure of ‘ordinary voices’ raises the visibility of the issue of climate change.

“It is hard to see how the global temperature rise is to be limited, on average, to 1.5 deg in the very narrow timeframe still available unless it becomes a matter of real urgency within the spheres of national and global politics.”

Mother of five Ms Fisher – who started the Waterhall and Hollingbury rewilding petitions on behalf of Extinction Rebellion – said she was motivated to participate in Extinction Rebellion protests out of fear for the future of her children.

She said: “The government response to the climate crisis is wholly inadequate, so much so that it is criminal. The government have a social contract to keep their citizens safe from forces that individuals cannot protect themselves from.

“The government’s lack lustre and blinkered response means that my children, especially my youngest, will have a very difficult life which will be full of conflict, worry and distress. I do not believe he will have a fulfilling life as a result.

“To be honest I am scared, very scared about the future of my children and the future of children all over the world.

“I hoped to tell my story, so that the public generally would become more aware of the negative impacts of flying and the dangers of ignoring the climate crisis.”

Phoebe Valentine, a mathematics student at the University of Sussex, said she became a climate activist because her own life is set to be impacted by the climate crisis.

“She said: “I am 23 and, like many young people, I dream and make plans. Until recently, the climate crisis was a distant worry; something that would effect future generations, not me. But science tells a different story. The mass devastation of our planet has already begun.

“The terrifying immediacy of our situation is hard to grasp but needs to be communicated, which is why I take action with Extinction Rebellion.

“I didn’t want to be arrested, it wasn’t fun, I would have much rather have been at home, but the devastation of our planet isn’t going to wait for me or any of us.”