Public Figures Condemn Sentences for Just Stop Oil Activists

Over 1,200 prominent figures, including artists and academics, have condemned the lengthy prison sentences given to five Just Stop Oil activists for their peaceful protests. Roger Hallam received a five-year sentence, while four others were sentenced to four years each for disrupting the M25 in London in 2022. These sentences, considered among the longest for peaceful protest in the UK, have sparked calls for intervention from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and criticism from UN human rights commissioner Volker Turk. The high-profile letter, which supports Dale Vince and Chris Packham's initiative for a meeting with the Attorney General, describes the sentences as a grave injustice. Among the signatories are Dame Tracey Emin, Chris Martin, and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The letter highlights the urgent need to address prison overcrowding while questioning the rationale behind such severe sentences for non-violent protests.