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Silent protest in Bristol after activist charged over jury rights sign
Around 30 activists staged a protest outside Bristol Crown Court on Monday morning holding placards spelling out the right of a jury to acquit a defendant according to their consciences.
It comes after a decision by the Attorney General’s office to prosecute fellow activist Trudi Warner.
The 68-year-old retired social worker from Walthamstow, east London, was arrested in March after allegedly communicating to jurors with a sign during the trial of Insulate Britain protesters.
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Warner held up a sign in March outside Inner London Crown Court, where a climate trial was taking place, which read: “Jurors: you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.”
She was protesting over restrictions on the defendants, imposed by the judge, which prevented them from mentioning climate change, insulation, fuel poverty or their motivations in their defence.
Family members Sarah Mcdonald, Renee Slater and Vivi McDonald sat side by side at the vigil
Protesters on Small Street sat with signs similar to Warner’s in solidarity – including three generations of one family.
Vivi MacDonald, 19, who was with her mother and grandmother, said: “The continuous measures by the government to limit protest are threatening everyone’s freedom and ability to take action or express their opinion based on our own conscience in the light of the urgent need for social, political and environmental change.”
Patrick Hart, a 37-year-old GP, added: “I’m doing this because the right to a fair trial with an independent jury is totally fundamental to a free and just society. It’s one of the cornerstones of our democracy. It horrifies me that we are seeing moves to deny the British people of this right.”
The action on formed part of a public campaign called Defend Our Juries.
This saw similar protests held outside 24 other UK courtrooms, including in London and Manchester, with 252 people taking part in total.
Civil liberty campaigners have warned that Warner’s prosecution is part of the government’s increasing attacks on the right to protest.
All photos: Jamie Bellinger
Read next:
- Just Stop Oil protesters slowly march through Bristol
- Mothers stage protest to demand action on climate change
- Demo outside Bristol Crown Court in solidarity with ‘kill the bill’ defendants
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