In a landmark case, five climate activists from the Just Stop Oil protest group have been sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison each. This ruling follows their involvement in blocking London’s M25 motorway in November 2022, marking the longest prison terms ever handed down for a non-violent protest in the UK.

Among those sentenced is Roger Hallam, co-founder of Just Stop Oil. The activists were convicted of conspiring to cause a public nuisance after disrupting traffic by climbing motorway gantries. The trial, held at London’s Southwark Crown Court, was marked by chaos, including defendants being arrested in court for defying the judge’s rulings.

Judge Christopher Hehir criticized the activists for causing an “unprecedented level of deliberate disruption” and suggested that Hallam attempted to turn the trial into a form of protest. The economic impact of the protest was estimated at £770,000 ($1 million), with significant delays affecting thousands of commuters.

Hehir described the actions as a “conspiracy to cause extreme and disproportionate disruption,” stating that the activists had crossed the line from concerned campaigners to fanatics. The trial also saw some protesters outside the court arrested for alleged contempt of court, though proceedings against them have since been dropped.