Insulate Britain have branded the Inner London Crown Court as ‘morally bankrupt’, after one of their members was given a five-week jail sentence for vowing to continue with civil disobedience. Mark Coleman, a vicar in his sixties, is now behind bars in Thameside Prison.
Vicar jailed after Insulate Britain protest
Mark’s son posted on his Twitter account that the 63-year-old was locked up following his arrest last year, where he sat in the middle of a busy London road with an Insulate Britain banner. The divisive demonstrations caused a media storm, splitting public opinion in the process.
Broadcaster James O’Brien said that the decision to imprison Mr. Coleman, who also has Parkinson’s Disease, was ‘quite a look’ for the authorities. His discontent is echoed by the vicar’s fellow protesters and close relatives:
“I am Harvey, Mark Coleman’s son, writing to tell you that yesterday he was sentenced to five weeks in jail. He is now in Thameside Prison. The sentence was for public nuisance, for when he sat on the road in protest in the City of London.” | Harvey Coleman
Mark Coleman locked up after vowing to protest again
During the hearing, Judge Reid quizzed Coleman and his co-accused about their intentions to continue civil resistance in the future. According to the lawman, this would be integral in deciding the length and severity of the sentencing.
The vicar then declared he would continue to engage in protest, and as a result, he was given a custodial prison sentence of five weeks – of which he can serve half before being released. Following his spell behind bars, Coleman will be on probation for 18 months.
Insulate Britain ‘furious with courts’ over contentious decision
Coleman defended his actions ferociously in court. He said that his protests were ‘to protect human life’, and insisted that his acts of defiance come from his strong sense of ‘moral authority’. Furthermore, he did not rule out blocking roads again in the future:
“I want to state that I acted to protect human life, to draw attention to the death and destruction caused by rising emissions and the impacts of cold damp homes on the health of the citizens of our country. I have seen the misery caused by uninsulated homes.”
“Fuel poverty then often ensues. The ordination service priests are told that they should ‘resist evil, support the weak, defend the poor, and intercede for all in need’. For me of course it has moral authority. Poor people are more likely to die prematurely.”
“I have tried to be true to my ordination vows, and I see it as part of my vocation as a priest, to continue to resist until the government acts. I expect that this civil resistance will involve sitting on the public highway again.” | Reverend Mark Coleman