Just Stop Oil Activists Get Long Sentences for M25 Protests

Roger Hallam, co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, has been sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating disruptive protests on the M25 motorway, while four other activists received four-year sentences. These sentences are the longest ever handed down for peaceful protest in the UK, highlighting the severity with which the court viewed their actions. The protests, which occurred over four days in November 2022, caused significant traffic disruption, economic costs, and a police officer injury. Judge Christopher Hehir described the activists as having crossed the line from concerned campaigners to fanatics. Supporters of the activists argue that this sentencing represents an erosion of human rights and democratic freedoms. The defendants were convicted of conspiring to cause public nuisance, with evidence obtained from a journalist infiltrating their planning meetings.