New report highlights UK imprisonment of protesters
A report by Defend Our Juries and Queen Mary University of London reveals the scale of imprisonment of protesters, including Quakers, who take direct action on the climate crisis and Palestine.
British courts have increasingly used remand detention, contempt proceedings and lengthy custodial sentences to create political prisoners, the report says.
Researchers documented 286 cases involving climate and Palestine solidarity protestors imprisoned since 2019. In the 256 cases where sentencing and remand data could be verified, the total amount of jail time imposed amounted to 136 years.
Among them were Phil Laurie and Rajan Naidu, who were imprisoned for breaching an injunction at the Kingsbury Oil Terminal with other Quakers and climate activists.
Quakers in Britain have campaigned against successive government attempts to increase restrictions and penalties for peaceful protest, the latest being the Crime and Policing Act 2026.
In recent submissions to government and parliamentary inquiries on protest, Quakers in Britain highlighted the plight of Quakers who were deterred from protesting, denied the ability to explain their motivations in court, and given excessive penalties for peaceful protest.
Responding to this report, Grace Da Costa, Public Affairs and Media Manager at Quakers in Britain said:
“This report shows the rising scale of injustice facing peaceful protestors who are calling on our government to tackle genocide and environmental destruction. People should not be imprisoned for peaceful actions motivated by love. The government needs to listen to our concerns and take action to protect our human right to protest."