Five members of the environmental group Just Stop Oil have received prison sentences for organizing protests that blocked a major Loandon highway in 2022. This decision has sparked widespread criticism from climate advocates.

The activists, including co-founder Roger Hallam (58), Daniel Shaw (38), Louise Lancaster (58), Lucia Whittaker De Abreu (35), and Cressida Gethin (22), planned the protests to disrupt traffic on the M25, a significant highway encircling London. The protests, which took place over four days in November 2022, saw protesters climb onto gantries over the highway. The judge, Christopher Hehir, sentenced Hallam to five years in prison, while the other four received four-year sentences.

Just Stop Oil is known for demanding that the UK government establish an international, legally binding treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil and coal by 2030. In recent years, the group has carried out several high-profile protests, including spray-painting cultural heritage sites, targeting pieces of artwork, and disrupting major sporting events.

Prosecutors argued that the 2022 highway protests caused significant disruption. According to their claims, the protests led to an economic cost of at least £765,000 and cost the Metropolitan Police more than £1.1 million (around $1.4 million). The disruption caused over 50,000 hours of vehicle delay, affected more than 700,000 vehicles, and left the M25 “compromised” for more than 120 hours. The judge stated that the activists had “crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic.”

The protests also had physical consequences. Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC noted that a police officer suffered concussion and bruising after being knocked off his motorbike in traffic caused by one of the protests on November 9, 2022.

The sentences have been met with strong reactions from environmental organizations and scientists. Just Stop Oil described the decision as “an obscene perversion of justice.” The group issued a statement featuring Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, who called the trial and verdict a “farce.” He criticized the judge’s characterization of climate breakdown as a matter of opinion and belief, calling it “nonsensical” and demonstrating “extraordinary ignorance.” He also described the suggestion that the climate emergency is irrelevant to whether the defendants had a reasonable case for action as “crass stupidity.”

Greenpeace UK’s program director, Amy Cameron, called the outcome a “dark day for the right to protest, a pillar of our democracy.” She questioned, “What sort of country locks people away for years for planning a peaceful demonstration, let alone for talking about it on a Zoom call?” Cameron argued that the decision gives a free hand to polluters while jailing those trying to stop them, saying, “It makes no sense.”

Sir David King, the government’s former Chief Scientific Adviser, also criticized the sentences, labeling them as “disgraceful.” He, along with other critics, argues that the harsh penalties for peaceful protestors reflect a troubling trend in handling climate activism.

Despite the backlash, the court’s decision highlights the ongoing tension between environmental activists and authorities. Just Stop Oil’s actions, though controversial, have brought attention to the urgent need for climate action. However, the significant disruption and economic costs associated with their protests have also raised questions about the methods used in climate advocacy.

This case underscores the broader debate on how societies balance the right to protest with maintaining public order and safety. While the climate crisis remains a pressing global issue, the responses to activism and protest will likely continue to provoke strong opinions on both sides.

The sentencing of Just Stop Oil activists marks a critical moment in the environmental movement, reflecting the increasing stakes and polarization around climate action. As the climate emergency intensifies, the clash between activists and authorities is expected to escalate, bringing more attention to the urgent need for sustainable solutions and the complex dynamics of environmental advocacy.