On Thursday 24 October, hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered outside the Ministry Of Justice (MoJ). They were there to demand Richard Hermer, the Labour Party government’s attorney general, ‘free political prisoners‘ of groups like Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action.
Free political prisoners
Since the publication of the government’s political violence tsar John Woodcock’s report in May, calling for members of groups such as Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action to be treated as organised crime groups, more than 50 members of those groups have been jailed.
Some of them have been incarcerated for as long as four or five years, following trials in which they have been banned from explaining to the jury why they have done what they have done.
The group Defend Our Juries along with Plan B have been campaigning on this issue. In September, they blocked the road outside the MoJ. Now, on 24 October they were back.
Around 300 people blocked the road to traffic in both directions outside the MoJ:
The action was carefully designed to be a lawful expression of democratic rights, in accordance with the Supreme Court judgement in Ziegler and others. That is, police should not arrest activists:
In recent times however, people have been arrested for far less. So, all those participating were prepared to be unlawfully arrested.
The exhibition, directly outside Hermer’s office in the MoJ, was a carbon copy of that which took place in the cul-de-sac outside Southwark Crown Court on 27 September, in which 320 people took part.
Past and present
Protesters held up images of political prisoners, past and present, to the windows of his office, defying him to turn a blind eye:
They called for an end to the role of oil and arms industry lobbyists, such as John ‘Lord Walney’ Woodcock and Policy Exchange, in silencing and jailing their political opponents:
The action fell fittingly upon United Nations Day. This will intensify the pressure upon the attorney general to bring the UK back into compliance with international law, as called for by the United Nations.
There was also a strong message over the role of juries in the justice system:
Jury equity as well as free political prisoners
As the Canary has documented, ‘jury equity’ is a vital constitutional safeguard that juries can acquit a defendant as a matter of conscience, irrespective of a judge’s direction that there is no available defence (also called ‘jury nullification‘). This ensures that all defendants have the opportunity to explain their actions when their liberty is at stake, including by explaining their motivations and beliefs.
Famously, the principle was used to acquit the civil servant, Clive Ponting in 1985, after he leaked information exposing the government’s misinformation over the sinking of the General Belgrano – despite the judge directing the jury that Ponting had no defence to breach of the Official Secrets Act.
The principle of jury equity has recently become contentious over juries repeatedly acquitting members of groups taking action for political purposes, such as members of Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Action, and the Colston 4. However, some now-notorious judges have been ignoring this – even threatening to charge jurors themselves with Contempt of Court if they use equity.
Everyone has the right to freedom of assembly
The peaceful protesters were outside the MoJ for 90 minutes. They then suddenly stop up, and a gospel choir began to sing. The assembly then marched through Westminster:
The action finished on a green in the middle of SW1, where the names of some of the people on free political prisoners placards were read out:
Tim Crosland from Plan B said at the protest that, regarding free political prisoners:
People are talking about it and are thinking about it because everyone here, including the police officers who are listening here, knows it is crazy to be filling our jails with peaceful people for taking direct action to protect life and uphold the law. Nobody can think that is a good thing.
There was an irony being at the MoJ for this free political prisoners protest. A sign on the main window read:
Be you never so high, the law is above you
That is, of course, demonstrably false. As Israel currently commits countless war crimes, Michelle Mone enjoys the high life, and Boris Johnson gets to publish a book – people who have peacefully protested languish in jail.
Defend Our Juries’ calls to free political prisoners resonated. Now, we all need Labour to act.
Featured image and additional images via the Canary
