Blind Paralympian Jailed for Climate Protest at London City Airport
James, a registered blind athlete and gold-winning Paralympian, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, with a minimum of six to serve, after climbing on top of a plane during Extinction Rebellion’s 2019 protest at London City Airport. He was found guilty of public nuisance for raising the alarm on the climate crisis.
Shock Over Prison Sentence
Raj Chada, lawyer for Extinction Rebellion, slammed the ruling. “We are shocked that James has been sentenced to 12 months in prison. James, registered blind and a gold-winning Paralympian at five Games, should not be in prison for taking part in this protest,” he said.
Chada warned the sentence threatens free speech and the right to protest. “This is a dangerous judgment for environmental campaigners. We will be appealing this sentence.”
Activists Outraged by Government’s Hardline Approach
Alanna Byrne from Extinction Rebellion UK described James as a hero and a devoted father inspired by his daughter Alice. “We are shocked and devastated by this news. James’ courage fuels all of us fighting for real change every day,” she said.
Byrne blasted the government’s hypocrisy ahead of COP26. “Putting a partially blind man in jail while the Prime Minister quotes Kermit the Frog at the UN and recruits the Wombles as COP mascots is a mockery of this moment,” she fumed.
She added: “This criminalisation of peaceful protestors shows the government’s lack of commitment to tackling the climate emergency. We hope James’ bravery forces people to question a government that would rather lock up messengers than listen to the call for action.”
A Historic First for Extinction Rebellion
This marks Extinction Rebellion’s first custodial sentence, highlighting the sacrifices activists are willing to make as the climate crisis worsens globally.
Campaigners are calling to end the crackdown on peaceful climate protesters, echoing the voices of 400 leading scientists who demanded an end to such criminalisation earlier this year.
