Attraction launched for Jan

A enchantment has been launched to assist Jan Goodey, the lately imprisoned college lecturer and contributor to the The Ecologist, along with his authorized charges and residing prices in the course of the present recession.

The 57-year-old local weather activist will spend Christmas Day in a jail cell for disrupting visitors on the M25 as a part of a Simply Cease Oil (JSO) marketing campaign earlier final month. Supporters have arrange the enchantment on the JustGiving web site.

Jan was convicted after bringing visitors to a standstill by climbing a gantry at junction 16. This was a part of a wave of JSO motion to stress politicians to scrap all new oil and gasoline contracts so as to mitigate local weather affect. 

Solidarity 

Campaigners see Jan’s imprisonment as a part of a serious erosion of civil liberties. The  Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act, which was handed in parliament in April this yr, is considered by activists as a serious assault on the precise to protest. 

The brand new act permits police to put situations on public processions, public assemblies, and one-person protests the place it’s moderately believed that the noise generated might consequence it “critical disruption to the actions of an organisation”.

JSO reported that the Justice of the Peace court docket spoke of wanting to make use of Jan’s sentence as a deterrent towards additional disruption of individuals going about their “lawful enterprise”.  

“Jan took this drastic motion to lift public consciousness of the local weather disaster. He has now misplaced his liberty and his household are going through Christmas with out him.

Claire Brooke, who arrange the JustGiving enchantment, mentioned: “Please present your assist and solidarity for Jan and his household at this actually troublesome time.”

The fundraiser has already obtained public assist, having raised £1,700 in the direction of the £2,500 goal. Campaigners have arrange the enchantment on the JustGiving web site.

This Creator 

Yasmin Dahnoun is assistant editor at The Ecologist.