To think the judge was right to throw the book at Just Stop Oil?

If you’re getting very riled up by it and posting on social media, you’re playing into their hands, it’s what they want you to do. Whether you like it or don’t like it, agree with it or disagree, that’s not really the question. I’m not an activist myself but I can see they are going to be on the right side of history; when we look back at irate people in cars on blocked motorways being slightly inconvenienced, they’ll be the ones looking pretty stupid.

I'm another in agreement with @Gingerisgoodforyou A jail sentence is disproportionate.

Well said! 👏👏

Some people think that because the cause is sound the method of protest is justified. How would you feel if a different protest group had done this? Farmers or lorry drivers?

Please tell us what you are doing about it?

Why should anyone answer your question? What are your answers? Are JSO managing to achieve the results they claim they want?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13404633/security-guard-pretending-cop-mother-child-police-handcuffs-baseball-bat.html

This is really frightening - the man had a baseball bat and handcuffs in his car. Suspended sentence.

This.
Easy targets too, looks what’s happening in Leeds and all emergency services have thought fuck this, not my circus. Scary times.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/mum-endured-horrific-attack-hands-17468061

This is an example that’s stayed with me.

Right, you must be one of those moms who likes to complain about what other people don't do and the planet your children are going to inherit while doing fuck all about anything. Plenty of you lot on here.

It’s obviously been done to send a strong message that this type of protest - the method not the reason behind the protest - won’t be tolerated. Blocking a motorway is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. It costs the economy millions, ties up police resources and causes accidents.

I’m happy that they were given a custodial sentence because I don’t want to see a repeat of this. Having said that, the length of sentence is ridiculous. As lots of posters have pointed out, suspended sentences are often handed out for violent crimes.

Genuinely frightening the number of people cheering and applauding the imprisonment of citizens for nothing more than engaging in entirely legal peaceful protest while members of an entirely legal organisation.

People threw bricks at Moseley and his supporters, and then later went off to North Africa, Asia, and continental Europe to fight Fascism and liberate people, yet in 2024 there is a fair chunk of the UK population who appear to be ready to welcome it with open arms.

It would be funny if it wasn't so vomit-inducing.

Which 'real' criminals do you mean??

My immediate thought was that real criminals don’t get actual time inside…5 years is excessive

It's not a good look. The UN described the previous harsh sentencing of Just Stop Oil protesters as significantly more severe than previous sentences imposed for this type of offending in the past," noting concerns about “the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association”.

It looks like a politically motivated decision, rather than a criminal justice decision, and I hope it will be successfully appealed.

Climate issues are in the news all the time.

Just because any group thinks a certain things should be done does not give them the right to cause civil disruption in order to force people to do them.

None of us have the right to violently force the causes we think are important on society at large.

Bubble and Hocus, please don't embarras yourselves. Your ignorance is gleaming. Most committed environmental activists I know (XR, IB, JSO) are working regular jobs, have sacrificed a great deal and, in a couple of cases, now have considerable debt following court cases, and criminal records precluding them from pursuing further career opportunities in professional roles.

If you are going to cast aspersions on a person's character or credentials; 'a cursory glance' is shabby and won't do.

And wanting to stop climate destruction is a “specific interest”????!!!!!

there is no hope for humanity.

I support Don't Stop Oil.

This!! Shocked at this thread. Do people not understand the consequences of the climate crisis??!!

The ambulance death is complete fake news. Made up by the same Sun newspaper -a paper staffed by Rats and read by lemmings.

Firstly, I am not a critic....and I am mystified at these sentences! They seem excessive, surely a custodial sentence is not fair here.

However, rightly or wrongly they do turn joe public away from their cause by acting this way. They need to inconvenience the law makers, not the general public. Block their routes, cause them issues, sadly our government don't care enough about us for these kinds of protests to have any effect.

I want to reiterate that these aren't my personal views, EVERYONE should be aware of the impact of climate change and doing everything they can to allow it down, you just asked what critics think should happen.

@StripedPiggy who tf is Roger?!

Great argument! You must be terribly proud.

Seriously, though, do you think protesters like this should get the same sentence as genuinely violent criminals? If you say yes I’d at least respect you for your conviction, if not your intelligence.

@Justrelax ok. Grandkids will though. But you’re alright. Must be great to be this selfish. Get in the bin.