Such great heights: Plane Stupid on the roof
Guilty: the ‘Westminster Five’ climate change campaigners who embarrassed Mr Brown by staging a rooftop protest at the House of Commons have – surprise, surprise – been done for trespassing.
The campaigners, from the environmental network Plane Stupid, scaled the roof in February to protest against the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. They had put forward a defence using Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act, which allows a person to use “reasonable force” to prevent a greater crime.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard how the group obtained visitors’ passes to the House of Commons and enjoyed a cup of tea in the lobby (no mention of biscuits) before gaining entry to the roof through an unlocked door, where they proceeded to unfurl banners, handcuff themselves to railings and throw paper aeroplanes down into the crowd gathered below.
Plane Stupid co-founder Alexander Richard George, sporting a striped shirt and enviable carrot-toned quiff, said the group “were not motivated by malice or personal gain but out of a concern for the wider community at large.”
However District Judge Nicholas Evans concluded that, as it had been a “peaceful” demonstration (albeit one which caused much embarrassment to those responsible for security at the House of Commons), a Section 3 defence was not applicable. Alex Lewis, prosecuting, added that the law would “not tolerate vigilantes.”
Much has been made in the media of the blue-blooded heritage of the group – dubbed the ‘Posh Protesters’ – which includes an MP’s grandson, a baronet’s granddaughter and a Cambridge graduate.
OK so maybe they aren’t exactly gagging for two-for-one offers on (Fair Trade) fruit and veg, and I’m pretty sure their eco-friendly ethics don’t extend to sifting through second-hand underwear at the local Oxfam, but that shouldn’t exclude them from attempting to take on alleged government hypocrisy and global corporations who still believe they can foul on their own doorstep and get away with it.
However it does mean the rooftop renegades shouldn’t have any trouble paying the price for their high altitude stunt, for which they were served only the minimum penalty.
Four of the defendants were fined £365 each. Another, Tamsin Omond, was ordered to pay £150 costs and given a conditional discharge for one year.
Speaking outside the court, campaigner Leo Murray said the group were “delighted” by the outcome of the trial, adding: “The judge awarded us small fines in explicit recognition of the fact we honestly believed we were acting in the public interest.”
Never likely to give up easily, the group say they now plan to deliver to police evidence of “corruption and collusion” between the government and BAA regarding over plans for a third runway at Heathrow.
“Enviable carrot-toned quiff”..you got it in one. Good piece! Just realised one of them lived in my patch after all.. Definately going to use it for my patch report!