Three Just Stop Oil activists cleared over Stonehenge protest

"If individuals disagree with what our government is doing on certain matters they are entitled to protest. For any of the defendants to be convicted, you have to be sure not just that they had committed the elements of the offence but you also have to be sure that a conviction would be a proportionate interference with their human rights to express their opinions and protest against government inaction."

"The three argued their peaceful protest was justified because of the focus on the climate emergency that flowed from it. Salisbury crown court heard the protesters used colour blasters to spray the stones in Wiltshire. It cost 620 to remove the powder and there was no lasting damage. The three faced charges including causing a public nuisance, which has a maximum jail of 10 years. The law has been widely criticised as an attack on the right to protest."

Three Just Stop Oil protesters, Rajan Naidu (74), Niamh Lynch (23) and Luke Watson (36), sprayed orange powder onto Stonehenge the day before last year’s summer solstice. The protesters used colour blasters and said the peaceful action aimed to focus attention on the climate emergency. Removal of the powder cost 620 and caused no lasting damage. The trio faced charges including causing a public nuisance, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence. The judge directed the jury that conviction would require a proportionate interference with rights to freedom of expression and protest. The prosecution argued Stonehenge had no connection to the climate emergency; the defendants denied the offences.

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