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Hello. Thanks for taking the time to read this!
I'm 36 years old and I have recently received my first criminal conviction.
Since studying the COP process and climate change as part of my politics degree over a decade ago, I have been mentally preoccupied and increasingly more horrified and frightened thinking about the future. I am in a constant state of grief for everything that we will lose - the beauty of the world and the people on it astound me and yet we are moving towards an ever increasing vulnerability that will see millions of people displaced or dead, and the loss of diversity in nature that will cause the collapse of our food system.
I made legal forms of activism part of my life, seeing it as my duty as a human being with a relative level of privilege.
I originally trained in non-violent direct action with Greenpeace around 8 years ago. I was involved in actions at various museums, helped to run film nights and mobilise local people, and in 2021 I locked myself to an oil barrel outside Downing Street. I marched, and marched and marched...
When I moved to Leigh-on-Sea I set up Incredible Edible LOS, growing organic food in a public space and running workshops and events for local people. I volunteered at a hygiene bank and various food-related organisations, fundraised for community groups, and ran twice as Green Party councillor.
I say this not because I want to be applauded - I really think this is the bare minimum a person with free time and some financial freedom should do - but because it's worth explaining why I then went on to commit a 'crime'. The judge in this case was appalled that a person with a background like mine would do what I did but I really don't think it's that shocking at all. We are in desperate times with the government and the oil companies completely blinded by money and power and unfortunately as this point in history we need radical change and I believe non-violent civil resistance, following in the footsteps of great movements in history, is all we have left.
Since April 2022 I have been arrested 8 times as part of Just Stop Oil's civil resistance campaign.
7 ordinary people including myself, broke petrol pump screens on the M25 leaving the Shell-owned petrol station unusable for 24-28 hours. It is claimed the damage and loss of earnings equated to over £100,000. Shell meanwhile, just announced quarterly profits of $6.2b whilst people in this country freeze to death in their homes, and the product they produce proven to cause extreme weather and pollution on an epic scale.
For this 'crime' I have been sentenced to 6 months in prison, suspended on the basis that I complete 200 hours of community service. I spent £3000 on a barrister to ensure that myself and my friends had representation in court, which I believe kept us out of prison.
I currently work 3 jobs and am paying this back at £150 a month which is a great expense and means I have less time to focus on a) the community work I love and b) completing my community service!
Organizer
Stephanie Golder
Organizer
England