Today (18/10/24) five Animal Rising campaigners were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for criminal damage. Four received custodial sentences of 18 months suspended for 2 years and 200 hours unpaid work, and the fifth campaigner received an 18-month sentence served concurrently. In total, they are to pay £2500 in compensation.
The group poured non-toxic and eco-friendly red dye into the fountain outside Buckingham Palace on 26/8/21 in a protest against the use of crown land for hunting and animal agriculture [1].
The campaigners were found guilty of criminal damage at Southwark Crown Court on 28/08/24 following a five-day trial.
Huge swaths of royal land are driven grouse moors, the management of which for shooting can be catastrophic for wildlife and the environment [2].
A Guardian investigation has since linked the King’s Sandringham estate to the deaths and disappearances of many protected birds [3].
The action came after it was revealed the late Queen had secretly lobbied Scottish ministers, exempting her private land from a major initiative to cut carbon emissions [4].
Orla Coghlan, Animal Rising spokesperson, commented:
“The climate crisis impacts all of us, and will disproportionately harm lower-income communities. The royal family can help reverse Britain’s poor environmental record by refusing to allow their estates to be used for harmful shooting practices, allowing these depleted areas to be rewilded.
“Britain must move to a sustainable, plant-based food system away from animal agriculture to ensure our food security and a fairer future for all. The royal family must do their part by following environmental regulations rather than sneaking in exemptions through the back door.
“Royal land continues to be used to illegally persecute native species, and contributes to climate change through animal agriculture. We are calling for King Charles to prove his commitment to the environment by ending these practices on his estates.”
Animal Rising campaigners are facing trial next month [4/11/24] at King’s Lynn Crown Court for the alleged theft of three lambs from King Charles’ Sandringham Estate in 2023. [5]
Spokespeople for Animal Rising are available for further comment. Call our press office +44 1225 296691 or email press@animalrising.org
Animal Rising is a social movement campaigning for a safe ecological future. The group primarily calls for the transition to a secure and sustainable plant-based food system, alongside a mass rewilding programme.
ENDS
Word count: 393
High-Quality Pictures and Videos: https://show.pics.io/animal-rising-breaking-news
All images and videos in this file, on our social media, and website can be used with credit to Animal Rising under ‘fair use’ for the purposes of reporting.
For more information or further comments, please contact:
Emma (Press Back Office) +44 1225 29 6691
Notes to editors:
Please note Animal Rising was known as “Animal Rebellion” at the time of this action.[1]https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/26/extinction-rebellion-protesters-tell-uk-government-stop-the-harm-of-fossil-fuels