One insulate uk The eco-warrior, who went on a hunger strike to protest being jailed for taking part in the protests that brought the British motorway to a standstill, drew calls from more eco-enthusiasts to try and continue the group’s extreme campaign. urged to keep requested.
Emma Smart, 44, – who will be held in Europe’s largest women’s prison that is home to murderers and child rapists – was sentenced to four months from 8 October for participating in a protest against the M25.
In a video shared online by Insulet Britain, a short recording of Smart, believed to have been taken before she was sent to HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, can be seen defending her actions and more Civil disobedience may be invoked.
Smart, an ecologist by trade, said: ‘It was quite an extreme expedition, you know, going on the motorway but we are in an extreme situation and I thought I would have to do what was necessary.
‘I stepped up, we all need to step up. Nonviolent civil disobedience is the only way we are going to bring about change.
‘We don’t need the nine of us, or the 20 of us in prison, we all need to put our liberties at stake because we are faced with losing everything.’
Insulate Britain’s Echo Mob’s Emma Smart, 44 urges more eco-enthusiasts to step up and continue the group’s extreme campaign
Weymouth’s Emma Smart announces she will go on hunger strike via Insulate Britain spokesperson
In the clip shared on Twitter, Smart explained his actions for participating in a crowded motorway protest earlier this year.
Speaking with a row of fence panels behind her, she said: ‘I don’t know what else I can do and then IB [Insulate Britain] Came along and yes, it was a way I could step up.
‘It was quite an extreme campaign, you know, going on the motorway but we are in an extreme situation and I felt I had to do what was necessary.
‘So I guess this is the moment. Our government can accept our demands and act or do something worthwhile.
‘But they chose to imprison us and it really sent a strong message to everyone. now is the time. We need to come together, whatever we are doing is not enough.
In a video shared online by Insulet Britain, a short recording of Smart, believed to have been taken before she was sent to HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, can be seen defending her actions and more Civil disobedience may be invoked.
Emma Smart told the court that the proceedings were ‘obscene’ and that barristers representing National Highways were under surveillance. However, the biologist has faced accusations of hypocrisy after driving a gas-guzzling 81,000 miles around the world with her husband, Andy Smith. Above: The couple is pictured with their diesel-fueled Toyota ahead of the Tour in 2012
Emma Smart (left) greets supporters as they arrive at the High Court in London tomorrow morning for sentencing
‘I stepped up, we all need to step up. Nonviolent civil disobedience is the only way we are going to bring about change.
‘We don’t need the nine of us, or the 20 of us in prison, we all need to put our freedoms at stake because we are faced with losing everything.
‘Our life support system is crumbling, society is about to collapse. Be a part of that change when you get the chance.
Insulate Britain has been contacted for comment.
After two months of repeated motorway chaos caused by Insulate Britain, Smart told the High Court she was there to ‘ensure future survival’ and compared watching the climate crisis to a child trapped in a burning house. Of. was made to see.
’ He said: ‘When you consider my sentence I am asking if my actions are in proportion to the crisis we are facing, where a year 8,500 people die of cold and hunger in their own homes. Huh. Huh. I can’t stand and watch.
‘I’ll run to them. Our government is cheating on us, with the future of our vulnerable people and our children. Until our government fails and betrays our people, I will not be a bystander, I will continue to do what is necessary.
Insulate UK environmental enthusiast Emma Smart as seen in handcuffs from the High Court in London yesterday
This week, Smart was sent to HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, the UK’s first purpose-built prison for women when it opened in 2004. A Category A prison can hold 572 female prisoners in four houseblocks, each of which can accommodate about 130 people.
Announcing his intention to go on a hunger strike after being jailed, Smart, 44, said: ‘Our government is betraying us, betraying our vulnerable people and betraying the future of our children. . Still working.
‘I believe that my intentions are morally right, even if my actions are considered legally wrong. This court may see me as the wrong side of the law, but in my heart I know that I am on the right side of history. I will not be a bystander.’
She told the court that the proceedings were “obscene” and that barristers representing the national highways were monitored.
But Smart, a biologist, had previously been criticized for making the gas-guzzling 81,000-mile drive around the world with his partner, Andy Smith.
Mr Smith, 45, who volunteers full-time as a climate activist but has not participated in any demonstrations with Extinction Rebellion offshoot Insulate Britain, said he is ‘terrified’ for her. Mr Smith said he knew he would go on a hunger strike if Smart was put behind bars, adding: ‘This is something we often discuss’.
He added: ‘He is incredibly determined in his actions. I stand by him in his every decision. Morally he is right in this matter and he really stands by his beliefs.
Stone (top row, middle) with eight other Insulate Britain eco-zealots outside the High Court after the group was jailed for a motorway stunt, causing chaos for Britons
‘He is an incredibly passionate individual who has spent his entire adult life trying to save wildlife and protect the environment.
‘Deeply involved in who he is. The freedom to go out on the street and protest has been taken away from them, so going on a hunger strike in prison is another way to continue that process.
He said supporters of the group had fewer sentences than expected, so he was “relieved”, but still felt it was “absolute injustice”.
He said: ‘I totally stand by what he has done and the way he has acted. I would obviously like to take the judge’s side with me but he broke the law and then he was ready to face the consequences of breaking the law.