Dozens Say 'Prosecute Us Too' If 68-Year-Old Climate Activist Is Charged Over Peaceful Protest

In a show of solidarity with a retired social worker and climate activist who is facing a possible two years in jail for holding a sign, 40 members of the U.K. public on Thursday urged the solicitor general for England and Wales to also prosecute them if he decides to charge 68-year-old Trudi Warner.

Warner was arrested earlier this year after holding a placard that read, "Jurors: you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience," outside of Inner London Crown Court, where climate protesters with Insulate Britain were on trial to face charges stemming from disruptive demonstrations.

The U.K.-based Good Law Project notes that the legal right referenced by Warner's sign "was established in 1670, after a judge imprisoned a jury for reaching a verdict he would not accept. The incident gave rise to a new ruling that juries have the freedom to reach decisions independently."

As The Guardianreported Thursday, Warner's protest came after a judge barred Insulate Britain defendants from "mentioning the climate crisis, insulation, or any motivation for their direct action."

Warner "was committed to the Old Bailey for contempt of court proceedings, where a high court judge referred the case to the solicitor general, Michael Tomlinson," the newspaper added. "Warner... is said to have stood by the judge's car park entrance which was being used by jurors and showed her sign to people she believed to be jurors in the trial—some of whom were."

In a letter to Tomlinson on Thursday, dozens of people who have engaged in demonstrations just like the one for which Warner was arrested wrote that "the context for Trudi's action is a concerted and cynical program to erode the right to trial by jury."

"In the face of such violations of our ancient liberties, it should come as no surprise that members of the public are ready to take a stand," the letter reads. "Such was the context for Trudi Warner's simple and truthful sign. Like Trudi, we are willing to defend the principle of the right to trial by jury, which includes the right to acquit despite a direction from the judge that there is no defense, even if it leads to our arrest and imprisonment."

"Since we, the undersigned, have taken precisely the same action as Trudi, if you intend to proceed with your application, we invite you to prosecute us too," the letter states.