Three weeks ago, I was arrested for simply standing peacefully in Trafalgar Square, asking questions. Yesterday, the High Court ruled that the police acted unlawfully.

I was arrested because I was defending the right to peaceful assembly and protest – a right that is a cornerstone of democracy.

On the evening of Monday 14 October, the Metropolitan Police imposed a ‘condition’ under section 14 of the Public Order Act that effectively banned any assembly linked to Extinction Rebellion (XR), anywhere in London.

I was at a meeting of Green MEPs just down the road when I heard that XR protestors were being cleared from Trafalgar Square.

To me, this seemed an extreme measure, so I went down to find out more. Together with other Green MEPs, I asked the police for justification of this decision. Unsatisfied with the lack of answers, I continued to stand in the square, calmly defending the right to protest and requesting an explanation for this police over-reach.

As a result, I was handcuffed, taken to a police cell, photographed, fingerprinted and released without being charged several hours later, at 3am.

The next day I joined XR and others in challenging the police’s decision in court, and we have now been vindicated as the High Court found that ‘the decision to impose the condition was unlawful’.

This is a very significant victory.

Section 14 powers are there to help the police manage protests, not shut them down altogether. The police’s use of this to ban any XR-related protest, anywhere in London, was both disproportionate and dangerous.

It was disproportionate because the police already had powers to arrest anyone who was actually causing serious disruption.

The fact that I was arrested for simply standing in a pedestrianised public square, asking questions, highlights just how disproportionate the condition was.

And it was dangerous, because a free society must absolutely protect the right to protest.

Protest has been essential to win rights we take for granted today – think of the suffragettes, for example. If the police could simply shut down peaceful protest everywhere, that would be the start of a very slippery slope.

So, I am delighted that the High Court has ruled against the police, and upheld the right to peaceful assembly.

Let’s remember why XR activists were in London in the first place.

They were protesting about the Conservative Government’s shameful failure to tackle the climate emergency. There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that we face a climate crisis, and that urgent action is needed – but political will lags far behind.

The Government has spent years ignoring the science. It is ignoring the advice of its own Committee on Climate Change, which found that ‘since June 2018 Government has delivered only 1 of 25 critical policies needed to get emissions reductions back on track’.

Its response to the climate emergency has been just warm words, hot air, rather than action.

For far too long, the Conservative Government has ignored the rising clamour of citizens for much stronger action on climate change. But public pressure is building every day – thanks in large part to brave protesters like the XR activists, Greta Thunberg and millions of school strikers.

The protesters are raising the alarm, and we have all heard it loud and clear. A recent poll showed that two thirds of people believe the climate emergency is the biggest issue facing humankind, and 54 per cent say it will affect how they vote.

Now it’s time to turn up the pressure on the Government to act.

This election must be – will be – a Climate Election.

Source: Read Full Article