Four Insulate Britain supporters have been acquitted at Woolwich Crown Court for actions taken during Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of nonviolent civil resistance demanding the UK government insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes; a campaign that was later called prescient by a number of commentators.
Insulate Britain: not guilty and speaking truth to power
Emily Brocklebank, Ruth Cook, Ana Heyatawin and Iain Webb were on trial before Judge Grout for common law public nuisance for participating in a roadblock on 27 September 2021 at M25, J14, near Heathrow.
After a six day trial, the 12 person jury took only an hour to return a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
In a marked contrast to earlier Insulate Britain public nuisance trials under Judge Silas Reid, Judge Grout allowed defendants to speak about the climate crisis in their closing speeches.
They were allowed to describe their motivations for taking action with Insulate Britain, to talk about their concerns for their families in the light of expected climate impacts, the poor state of Britain’s housing stock and the fact that civil resistance is necessary when successive governments have failed to prepare for what is coming.
In her closing speech, Ruth Cook, a grandmother and director of a small training company from Somerset said:
You have heard that I am a Quaker. The essential thing about Quakers is that they are known for speaking truth to power.
She went on to talk about her fears about climate breakdown, her previous experience working for a charity in providing food aid to refugees in Greece and about the recent flooding across England and Wales.
She posed the question of what will happen to Woolwich and the surrounding areas when the Thames Barrier is no longer sufficient to protect against rising water levels? Ruth had been late to the proceedings on Monday because of travel disruption caused by the extensive flooding across England and Wales, including her hometown.
Threatening all of us
In his closing speech, Iain Webb explained that the climate crisis threatens all of humanity and likened the government’s response to that of a fire brigade attending a house fire and doing nothing. He said:
Throughout history people have taken action knowing that the odds were stacked against them but they did anyway because it was the right thing to do… 2023 was the hottest recorded year in our lives and sadly it will be the coldest year we will know going forward as the crisis only will get worse. This is why we were on the road and we will continue to do the right thing and raise the alarm.
Following the verdict, Ruth said:
I am incredibly proud of what Insulate Britain achieved – taking to the streets day after day, knowing we risked being remanded in custody. Our aim was to shame the government into addressing the climate crisis by insulating our homes. The UK has the worst housing stock in Europe, leading to thousands of preventable deaths from cold and damp, as well as forcing people to choose between eating and heating.
At 72 years old, I was a law-abiding citizen until September 2021. Insulate Britain – its demands, the people I met, and the trust we shared in taking action together—showed me that nonviolent civil resistance was the only way to ensure our voices were heard.
Ana Heyatawin, a grandmother and Samaritan from Somerset said:
Truth and reconciliation are the tasks at hand, and the time is now. I have the privilege to speak the truth and honour my conscience. What greater purpose could there be than striving to save our children?
In the 23 Insulate Britain jury trials for public nuisance charges to date, four trials have resulted in a hung jury, three trials have resulted in acquittals, thirteen have resulted in a guilty verdict and three have been deferred. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has applied for retrials in three cases where the jury failed to reach a majority verdict.
The CPS has chosen to summon a total of 56 supporters to answer at least 201 charges of public nuisance across some 45 jury trials, with trials planned up to June 2025. These trials have been heard across Inner London, Hove, Lewes, Reading, and Woolwich Crown Courts.
Featured image via Insulate Britain
