Trenton shortly before sentencing today, wearing a badge in support of Talha Ahsan. Photo by Rachel Harger.
At Isleworth Court today, Trenton Oldfield was sentenced to six months in prison for the offence of “public nuisance” (“A nuisance is a public nuisance if, within its sphere, which is the neighbourhood, it materially affects the reasonable comfort and convenience of life of a class of Her Majesty’s subjects” as defined in the 1957 case, Attorney-General v PYA Quarries Ltd). The “class of Her Majesty’s subjects” in this case were the participants in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race in April of this year. Trenton, who was protesting against elitist, has been punished by the same class who were the target of his action.
The judge’s sentencing report. She accuses Trenton of ‘prejudice’ against the rowers.
DTRTP and the campaign Trenton is a part of (This is Not a Gateway) will be launching a twin campaign shortly. More to follow.
Here we go again, creating false dichotomies.
“Defend the right to protest”.
No one’s attacked the right to protest in this case any more than in Selfridges, Occupy, the Student Demo and all the rest.
What is being attacked is a right to disrupt everyone else when the ‘protestors’ decide that it is not acceptable for the rest of us to ignore their protest.
Oldfield was perfectly at liberty to protest with a banner on the bank.
He chose to ‘protest’ in a way which caused major disruption, and is taking the consequences for his action.
Case closed.