Banbury Extinction Rebellion member has her day in court after arrest

A Banbury Extinction Rebellion member has her day in court after an arrest at a London demonstration
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Two members of the Banbury Extinction Rebellion group who were arrested during the XR rebellion in October 2019 have been sentenced. This comes after four postponed hearings each, due to lockdown. A third Banbury member was given the date of Nov 6 for her hearing, but her hearing will now be postponed for a fifth time, due to the new lockdown.

All three members took part in the London protests in order to pressurise the government to take urgent action on the climate emergency, which was declared by Parliament in May 2019.

Maria Huff, Alex Berry and Jane Rogers were all arrested for obstruction of the highway (sitting in the road) in Whitehall on October 8 last year.

Banbury Extinction Rebellion member, Maria Huff, 57, who lives in Banbury, pleaded guilty at London City Magistrates court. She read a prepared statement explaining why she had decided to break the law for the first time in her life.Banbury Extinction Rebellion member, Maria Huff, 57, who lives in Banbury, pleaded guilty at London City Magistrates court. She read a prepared statement explaining why she had decided to break the law for the first time in her life.
Banbury Extinction Rebellion member, Maria Huff, 57, who lives in Banbury, pleaded guilty at London City Magistrates court. She read a prepared statement explaining why she had decided to break the law for the first time in her life.

Maria, 57, who lives in Banbury and is an IT manager at Oxford University, pleaded guilty at London City Magistrates court on October 23. She read a prepared statement explaining why she had decided to break the law for the first time in her life.

She said: "We have a beautiful world, and it is filled with such amazing people. This world is our home.

"The UN Climate Change reports make it clear that we have treated our atmosphere and oceans as a dumping ground for CO2 and other climate changing gases and pollutants, and explains how that is warming the planet. Our industrial civilization, our farming methods, and our consumption, so many choices we've made about the way we live, point us towards a planet that will become virtually uninhabitable if we continue as we are.

"The government isn't listening and acting in a way which is appropriate to the level of risks we're facing. 2050 is too late.

Banbury Extinction Rebellion member Alex Berry, 37-year-old a software developer, was one of three members arrested at a London demonstrationBanbury Extinction Rebellion member Alex Berry, 37-year-old a software developer, was one of three members arrested at a London demonstration
Banbury Extinction Rebellion member Alex Berry, 37-year-old a software developer, was one of three members arrested at a London demonstration

"I have been on countless marches, campaigns, written to my MP, attended council meetings, and very little actually happens.

"I took the action of sitting in the road not to block the business of Londoners, or to cause trouble to hard working police officers, but as part of the Extinction Rebellion protests, because I see no other way for us to convince the government of the need for real concerted action, given their apparent indifference.

"The judge acknowledged my passion for this, and I was given a conditional discharge for six months and a fine of £106. I had been feeling apprehensive with small butterflies in my stomach, but ended the afternoon feeling heard, relieved and unrepentant."

Alex Berry, 37-year-old a software developer, was given a caution after accepting responsibility for the offence by email. He decided to accept a caution after numerous court postponements so that he wouldn’t have to attend court. This was because he has been staying in Newcastle with his mother, who is shielding and didn’t want to risk travelling.

Alex said: "Taking part in non-violent direct action has been the only time I have made a meaningful difference in the fight to convince our elected representatives to take climate emergency seriously.

"Countless emails and petitions fall on deaf ears and their attitude to climate change is exactly the same as Covid - unconvincing rhetoric combined with ineffectual action.

"Nothing will change without sacrifices from everyone. My arrest is meaningless when compared to the suffering of all those at the sharp end of climate and ecological breakdown."