News
- The Climate 9 outside Aberdeen Sheriff’s Court
For Immediate Release:
Climate9 appeal Edinburgh Appeal Court June 7th 2011
Defendants Tilly Gifford and Dan Glass are appealing the Climate9 (1) conviction of Breach of Peace at Edinburgh Appeal court tomorrow, June 7th, 10.30am (2), with results to follow.
The Climate9 trial lasted for two weeks in Aberdeen and was the first jury-led climate change trial in Scotland. The appellants were convicted of Breach of Peace in August 2010 at Aberdeen Crown Court for their role in the climate change protest at Aberdeen airport on March 3rd 2009.
The Climate9 occupied the taxiway at Aberdeen airport, shutting the airport down to stop emissions contributing to man-made climate change. The Climate9 played golf in a cage on the taxiway to further challenge industries which promote unsustainable transport plans, such as Donald Trump’s contentious golf course at Balmedie Estate, Aberdeenshire (3).
Appellant Dan Glass said:
“The Scottish legal system defines breach of the peace as activities “causing fear and alarm to the ordinary and reasonable person, and which threatens serious disturbance to the community”. I can’t think of a better way to describe climate change. We are fighting for our beliefs to the end because we believe stopping emissions is justified, proportionate and necessary in the face of catastrophic climate change, and that the negative consequences of our actions are more purposeful than the consequences of continued inaction. Sometimes, we believe, the law must be challenged to protect our fundamental freedom of expression and to disrupt lawful activities that are harming the prospects of future generations. When state forces are being exposed all over the UK for misinformation, from Aberdeen (4) to Nottingham (5) and beyond, we must continue to protect our fundamental rights.”
Michael Mansfield QC, one of Britain’s best-known defence barristers, said:
“One fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
Appellant Tilly Gifford said:
“How do we justify the airport occupation? To understand our activities, we have to look at the context in which they took place. Despite recent pronouncements on Heathrow and Stansted, aviation remains the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the UK. The courts recently ruled that the government’s aviation white paper was incompatible with the UK’s climate change targets. The judge presented a choice to the jury between ‘breach of peace’ and ‘freedom of expression’ without any context. This is simply not good enough – the context must always be presented.”
Plane Stupid spokesperson Joe Ryle, 20, said:
“The heart of the debate is about our fundamental right to protest. Systems of supposed democracy must ask themselves the question ‘If the UK is tolerant enough to allow a wide range of protests, are we prepared to tolerate greater disruption to business as usual in the face of climate change?’ If the predictions are correct we may face a 4C increase in temperature by 2100 (6), so we will continue taking action to stop emissions The violence this will bring to the next generation makes us take action increasingly harder in 2011.”
Contacts
Plane Stupid: 07584955708
Notes to Editors:
(1) For full information please see www.climate9.com
(2) Edinburgh Appeal Court – Royal Mile – behind St Giles Church and the David Hume Statue to start at 10.30am
(3) For full information – see here www.trippinguptrump.com/
(4) Police: Aberdeen flight did attend ill baby during climate protest – http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/mar/03/activism-travel-and-transport
(5) Lawyer criticises police on undercover Pc Mark Kennedy’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12152484
(6) ‘if all nations were to implement all their current emissions reduction commitments, the world would be 4C warmer than the pre-industrial baseline by 2100.’ (Richard Betts, Mathew Collins et al., “When could global warming reach 4C”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 369:67-84; New, Liverman et al, “Four degrees and beyond:
the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 369:6- 19; http://climateinteractive.org/scoreboard; http://www. climateactiontracker.org)
Press Release: 25/08/2010
Climate 9 Remain Defiant After Court Sentencing
Nine Plane Stupid protesters who shut down Aberdeen airport on the morning of March 3rd 2009 appeared in court today to finally receive their sentences. The judge and court took the protesters’ urgent message on climate change seriously and gave out very modest fines ranging from £300 to £700 each adding up to a total cost of around £4000 – £5000.
Crowds of activists, local supporters and press gathered outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court at 10am for the sentencing hearing of the Climate 9, the group recently found guilty of Breach of the Peace for occupying the city’s airport last year. During the two week trial in June, expert witnesses explained how aviation emissions are fuelling climate change and detailed some of the local effects, including flooding impacts.
In anticipation of the sentencing one of the trial’s expert witnesses Dr Geoff Meaden said
“Society’s problem is that, other than through civil disobedience, there are often no legitimate means of getting governments (at any level) to ‘act correctly’ or to act in the best long term interests of people, environments or indeed the planet. In the absence of such a ‘jury’ or ‘commission’, then we have to be glad that there are groups such as Climate9 who are bold enough to bring to the public’s attention existing injustices.”
Since the trial the group has also received support from communities around the world, suffering from climate change effects, with commitment to keep the 9 active in taking action to stop runaway climate change. The group have vowed to continue their campaign highlighting the danger of aviation carbon emissions.
Dan Glass, one of the Climate9 members said:
“Against the backdrop of the Copenhagen Summit failures and new waves of climate chaos, all over the world people demanding climate justice have complained to the politicians and to the judges. It’s time we did something for ourselves. The Climate9 will not uphold increasing state and police repression and camouflage the struggle that is climate injustice. The Climate9 provide an opportunity to spread the need for urgent action, to halt airport growth and to challenge the authorities with pride and confidence.
Whatever we received today, this climate court trial won’t be the last time. Our future and the health of every species is too important to leave it in the hands of the few.”
One such group is The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland who, in their recent AGM passed a resolution to:
“Affirm that there are times when non violent direct action involving potential and actual civil disobedience in the form of deliberate lawbreaking, may be regarded as a legitimate approach to expressing the Gospel.”
2 days before sentencing one of Britain’s best-known defence barristers also threw his weight behind the Climate9 before they were due to be sentenced in Aberdeen Crown Court.
Michael Mansfield QC said “As I write one fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
Jimmy Kerr, one of the Climate9 members said:
“The trial generated public support from many corners keeping up the pressure on the legal system to one day recognise the importance of environmental action. Indeed we need to keep that momentum up. There is so much knowledge to be shared as a result of this case, from and legal issues, to public health to popular education and much much more. We can offer talks, workshops or advice and you can help by arranging an event and inviting us to take part.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
(1) Michael Mansfield QC’s full statement is “There is an environmental clock ticking towards irretrievable global disaster for future generations – it is nothing less than a breach of world peace on a massive scale. Political summits like Kyoto and Copenhagen can’t even agree satisfactory targets let alone effect implementation. As a consequence individual and collective action to curtail our destructive footprints is a categorical and immediate imperative for everyone. Remaining silent or doing nothing are not options. As I write one fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
(2) For all the Climate9 statements of support please see (http://www.climate9.com/statements-of-support/)
Interviews with key witnesses and the 9 available throughout this week
Photographs attached: Please credit Rob Logan.
Other relevant links
Climate 9 http://www.climate9.com
Plane Stupid http://www.planestupid.com
Recent coverage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/23/uk-emission-cuts-airport-protest-trial
Aberdeen Action http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7924952.stm
http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/news/detail.php?art_id=3230
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7924952.stm
For more information and interviews contact
Press team: 07584955708
Legitimised by Court of international Opinion, Legitimised by Climate Scientists. Not Legitimised by Aberdeen Sheriff Court. June 25th.
Last year the Climate 9 stopped tonnes of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions by disrupting operations at Aberdeen Airport. After deliberating for 4 hours, the jury in Aberdeen- the ‘oil capital of Europe’, found them all guilty of breach of the peace. They will be sentenced in August.
The court of international opinion has come to a slightly different verdict, with messages of support flooding in from those on the frontline of climate change and comenaters like John Pilger and Mike Mansfield QC.
This is the first time since the failure of the Copenhagen process that evidene of the dangers of climate change and aviation emissions have been presented by climate experts to a jury.
Speaking during the trial, expert witnesses Dr Alice Bows and Dr Geoff Meaden shocked many by explaining that the UK governements emissions targets are not radical enough to prevent future generations from experiencing catastrophic events. Like the flooding in Brazil this week, where 100,000 people have been made homeless, 1,000 peoplle are missing and at least 42 people sadly lost their lives.
These horrific events are why we must continue to take action to stop greenhouse gas emmissions, especially when the response from the government is woefully inadequate.
As one of the defendants, Jimmy, explained outside the court:
“While they talk, and nothing changes, people all over the world are starting to act. Even if it means standing up against the states use of legal intimidation. This verdict shows that the mechanisms of the establishment won’t stop run away climate change. The expert witnessess have shown that we must take effective action, the protest at Aberdeen has shown that we can.”
Day 8- Wednesday 23rd June – Tougher targets and people’s action needed say experts in trial!
Today the court heard from top climate scientist Dr Alice Bows and bio-geographer Dr Geoff Meaden.
Dr Alice Bows, a top climate scientist from the University of Manchester, spoke to the court about the contradiction between UK aviation policy and action urgently called for from the scientific community to avoid catastrophic climate change. She said:
“The UK Government’s Committee on Climate Change policy of 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 only gives us a 50:50 chance of avoiding dangerous climate change. You wouldn’t go to sleep in a house that had a 50:50 chance of burning down in the night, so we need even tougher targets. In fact we need a complete de-carbonisation of the economy in the next few decades. Because we need to tackle emissions right now, the actions of both governments and individuals are important.”
Dr Geoff Meaden, expert in biogeography and coastal hazards, who was also a key witness in Greenpeace’s precedent Kingsnorth6 case, spoke about the local impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Speaking after court he said:
“At present I see little evidence that governments at all levels are taking sufficient action on climate change. Therefore, like those who have committed civil disobedience in the past I believe that groups such as Plane Stupid must take every opportunity to bring the urgency of climate change to the public attention.”
The expert witnesses today agreed with the evidence from Heathrow that community campaigns are key to challenging policies that threaten future generations with the effects of climate change.
Judge Harris also told the court that all vandalism charges have been dropped, leaving the accused with only Breach of the Peace to answer for. They continue to plead ‘not guilty’, justifying that their actions were justified as they assembled peacefully to prevent a greater crime to future generations through climate change.
Yesterday the judge also referred to BBC radio 4′s ‘Today’ program which reported that 98% of scientists agree that climate change is anthropogenic. This gives further credibility to the 9′s defence that climate change is proven and urgent.
Day 7- Tuesday 22nd June – Expert witnesses to be heard tomorrow-
Expert witnesses Dr Alice Bows, top climate scientist from Manchester University, and Dr Geoff Meaden, Geographer and key witness for the Kingsnorth6 case will be testifying to the urgent need for climate action on the 8th day of the Climate9 court case.
Alice Bows will testify to the urgent need to cut aviation emissions in order to avoid catastrophic climate change, while Geoff Meaden will talk about the local impacts of climate change here in Aberdeen and the fallacy of current political inaction.
The prosecution has now finished and the defence case began this Monday. Further expert witnesses will be called for the rest of the week and the case is currently expected to be closed on Friday.
Day 6 – Monday 21st June – Criminal Damage Charges Dropped-
Today the Crown Prosecution came to a close. The Procurator Fiscal is dropping the charges of Criminal Damage for the two protesters on the roof of Aberdeen airport. The defence case is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The police Constable R. Bird read out a printed Press Release and a note, seized from Dan Glass and Jonathon Agnew, respectively.
The court heard that part of the press release stated:
‘BAA Aberdeen said they welcome Donald Trump’s Golf Course. Like Alex Salmond, Trump wants to bulldoze over democratic opposition to environmentally damaging projects like airport expansion. Both Trump and BAA’s plans face fierce local opposition. Dan Glass, one of the protesters stated;
“The reality is that our generation’s future is vanishing so that people like Donald Trump and his super-rich friends can jet into Aberdeen for a round of golf. The expansion of this airport just cannot go ahead.”
Another, 24 year old Tilly Gifford,a social worker from Glasgow, said:
“Alex Salmond wants to let the Spanish shareholders of BAA, Donald Trump and his super-rich American friends concrete over Scotland and its efforts to stop runaway climate change.”
She added:
“Arctic ice is melting, the sea is already rising and experts warn the world’s rainforests could collapse. Our generation is already starting to feel these impacts as the warming kicks in so it’s obvious that it’s going to need to be us that urgently puts the brakes on expanding unnecessary airports.”
A bag of imitation golf balls were also exhibited as part of the Crown’s productions. “New Orleans; Dyce; Polar Bears; ClydeBank; Rainforest; Aberdeen; Sipson” were some of the inscriptions written on the golfballs, as read out by Police Constable Bird. These are just some of the places where communities are already suffering the effects of climate change.
Leaving court today Josephine Hanson, one of the Climate9,stated that:
“I was surprised by the charges in the first place as we had conducted ourselves so carefully during the action. To claim Criminal Damage for some residual stains from sand bags is excessive and ludicrous. All their own evidence ridiculed the claim of criminal damage. BAA are criminalizing any voices of dissent and we will to see that justice is done for those affected by climate change.”
The case continues..
Day 5 – Friday 18th June. Scheduled Air Ambulance not Emergency Flight :“This is news to me” says Police Inspector from witness box
Inspector Irvine was on duty on the morning on the 3rd of march 2009. He told the court on Friday 18th June that on the day he was acting on information, from a source which was not the police. This featured an ‘emergency flight’, a ‘critically ill baby’, a ‘helicopter’ and that they ‘needed the taxiway’.
When informed that it was established, just yesterday, that this was a scheduled air ambulance, not an emergency flight, Inspector Irvine responded:
“This is news to me that it was a scheduled flight”.
Boggia’s advocate then asked the police inspector “would Breach of the Peace [with which the 9 accused are charged] include the whole circumstances – including inaccurate information about taxiways and emergency flights?” Inspector Irvine confirmed this would be the case. This erroneous information could bring into question the charge of Breach of Peace.
On Thursday 17th June a video of the protest was screened to the Jury, who witnessed defendant Dan Glass informing the police cameraman of their objectives. Dan Glass stated that they were there to “close the airport for as long as possible; to stop CO2 emissions as they are dangerous; to stop airport expansion; to end short haul flights; to support people in high-emission industry into green jobs; to highlight the social disparity between those who cause the problems and those who suffer the impacts.”
Juliana Napier from the Climate9 Defence Committee (1) continued: ‘This evidence is incredibly important in establishing the truth of what happened during the protest. The Climate9 freely assembled in Aberdeen airport to stop the harmful emissions causing runaway climate change and raise awareness about the issue. They did this to ensure that our own and future generations can enjoy good health in a safe environment not to endanger the life or health of anyone.’
Day 4 – Thursday 17th June – Video of protest establishes real objectives of the action
The hour long video of the Aberdeen protest, as recorded by the police, was screened to the court and jury.
When the police negotiator suggests they have made their point, have generated publicity and can now pack up and go, one of the accused clearly states that their objectives differ. He states that they are there to:
“Close the airport for as long as possible; to stop airport expansion; to end short haul flights; to get people in high-emission industry into green jobs; to highlight the social disparity between those who cause the problems and those who suffer the impacts.”
On the video, time and time again we see the protestors seek confirmation of the ambulance delay, affirming that they are willing to leave immediately as soon as it has been established that they are a genuine obstacle to the take off of the air ambulance.
The police witness affirmed that during the action all the protestors were “fully compliant and in good spirits”.
Day 3 – Wednesday 16th June – Air Ambulance, BAA funded police
Today court heard from several witnesses about the delay caused to flights departing, including from two senior staff working on the ground in the terminal building. We also heard from two witnesses regarding the delays in helicopter operations on the day in question.
Later Stephen Wright of GAMA Aviation- the firm in charge of air ambulances in Aberdeen Airport – spoke about an emergency ambulance flight scheduled to take off from Aberdeen on that day. He mentioned a delay and first referred to ‘confusion’ in relation to the delay incurred. However, when he was read his police statement from the time conceded he would have had a better recollection when he gave the statement. This included:
“Our flight was scheduled to take off at 8.00am this morning, but in fact took off about 8.35am, but this was due to our operational delay by the medics and not the protestors. This incident has had no financial or life threatening or operational impact on our operation. I have no complaint regarding this matter.”
A police officer belonging to a police department funded by BAA, present on the taxiway on the day in question confirmed that this was a matter of peaceful protest and that all the protestors were ‘very polite’.
