Support Student Climate Activist Zac Lumley

Zac and Orla on The Steps of The Criminal Courts

Animal Rebellion Ireland are asking for YOUR HELP to cover the hefty fine that Zac was unjustly sentenced.

Last year, Cork climate activists Orla and Zac were arrested in Dublin. Orla, fed up with the government’s reluctance to do anything about the climate other than issue endless empty promises, was protesting by covering the entrance to the Department of Foreign Affairs in paint and posters. Zac came along to film the action. You can read more about Orla’s reasoning for the protest here:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40924073.html

While polluters putting millions of lives at risk walk free, Zac and Orla were arrested and imprisoned for this protest — Zac for three days, before being released on bail, and Orla for five weeks, after refusing to sign bail.

After multiple court dates, Zac and Orla finally faced trial on 12th July. Both were found guilty by Judge John Hughes — who claimed that Zac and Orla were acting to gain “notoriety” rather than out of any interest in preventing harm. The judge carefully and deliberately worded his verdict to make an appeal near impossible. Both activists received a conviction and were ordered to pay €4,000 each — €2,000 as a fine and €2,000 in compensation to the government.

Zac and Orla have 6 months to pay their fines. Orla, who is currently working on the Just Stop Oil campaign in Glasgow, has decided not to pay on principle. Following his release from prison, and strict bail conditions, Zac studied biology in Oxford and intends to return there in October to study for a Masters in sustainable agriculture. He is currently working a minimum wage job at home in Cork to fund his education.

A previous fundraiser successfully covered the €1,400 cost of Zac’s bail, which has now been returned. So all we’re asking for is help covering the remaining €2,600 of his fine. Any amount you can contribute will go a long way. Together we can offset this injustice.