Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LONDON: A former pilot of easyJet who sat in the middle of a road outside Harrods to cause traffic chaos, told a London court that he left his job because he thought he was contributing to climate change.
According to the Guardian, George Hibberd was part of a group of about 20 Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists who protested outside the globe-famous store in Knightsbridge, London.
During the protest, some glued themselves to the road while others sprayed orange paint on the front of Harrods on 20 October the previous year. It marked the 20th consecutive day of action taken by JSO, which is urging the UK government to halt all fresh gas and oil licences.
Hibberd, of Chichester, West Sussex, with Paul Bleach, 55, of Portsmouth, Surrey, John Blewett, 56, of Dorking, Katharine Chesterman, 57, of Hythe, and Selma Heimedinger, 23, of Southsea, denied causing a public obstruction in Brompton Road. All were found guilty and fined.
Ex-easyJet pilot’s stance
Giving evidence, Hibberd told Westminster magistrates’ court he had left his dream job as a pilot because he felt frustrated about the airline’s unwillingness to tackle climate issues. “I tried to change the industry from the inside. That put me in direct opposition with industry leaders and union leaders. I decide whether to bury my head in the sand and leave my childhood dream job. I chose the latter.”
Hibberd said he was later diagnosed with eco-anxiety and told a court: “We tried everything. We have been to parliament, and we have written to our MPs. We were covered by every national news outlet.” Asked how motorists reacted to the disruption, Hibberd said: “I may have seen one and two citizens who were visibly angry.”
Heimedinger told the court: “I love nature and animals. I’m studying veterinary nursing because I care deeply about life and animals. The action we took on Brompton Road was not violent. The protest was peaceful at all times.
“Two months before we took action, ten million were displaced by flooding in Pakistan. Traffic blocked for 60 minutes was not comparable to that. Blocking traffic entirely proportionate.”
The district judge, Daniel Sternberg, said that “the obstruction resulted in travel congestion. You were each spoken to by a police officer. You each decided to remain seated. The protest caused important disruption.” The court heard the truck delivering emergency equipment to Guy’s hospital was caught up in the congestion.
