“We all live on this planet, so we should very much care about it,” says Zoé Pontida.
The Oxford-based French teacher was one of 10 Greenpeace activists who broke into an oil terminal on the banks of the Thames, in Essex, in May – preventing Greek-flagged tanker Andromeda from unloading thousands of gallons of Russian diesel.
The protesters took two dinghy boats to access the Navigator Terminals jetty from the riverside late on May 15.
Attaching themselves to the jetty, they unfurled a banner on which was printed the message ‘oil fuels war’. The Andromeda tanker, which although sailing under a Greek flag was carrying Russian oil, turned around a day after their action.
The purpose of the protest, the 10 activists were later to tell a district judge at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, was to raise awareness of fossil fuels being imported to the UK from Russia – and used to fund what one of the protesters called ‘Putin’s war’ in Ukraine.
A judge agreed, in November finding the 10 not guilty of trespass and, by obstructing the jetty, preventing ‘lawful activity’ as defined in a 1994 act originally brought in by then Conservative Home Secretary Michael Howard to tackle raves and anti-road building protests.
District Judge Christopher Williams suggested Russia’s war in Ukraine could be ‘described as terrorism’ – and that the unloading of oil from the nation was the ‘potential offence’.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail following the case last month, Zoe Pontida, 32, from St Clements, said she was ‘obviously quite relieved’ by the verdict and ‘elated’ as it was a ‘vindication of the right of peaceful protest’.
“I think it's enormous in the sense that it's the first time a British court has said the invasion in Ukraine is tantamount to terrorism - and funding it goes towards funding terrorism,” she added.
“It’s not a small declaration. It opens the door to people wanting to take a stand against Putin’s war.
“Why did we take action? Because every day lives were being lost and we did not have time to sit around, send petitions, go through private members bills [in the Houses of Parliament].”
She claimed: “The government effectively created a loophole in the ban on fossil fuels that allowed them to continue importing Russian fossil fuel, which means that when people go to the pump and fill up their car it’s oil from the Kremlin that goes to fund atrocities in Ukraine.”
It is a loophole that should, now, finally be closed. Earlier this month, ministers brought forward a ban on Russian oil imports – with the ban coming into force on December 5 rather than New Year’s Eve. A ban on Russian gas is expected early in the new year.
Ms Pontida, speaking before the ban came into force, said any government ban on fossil fuels coming from the country should go alongside a wider ‘plan on renewable energy, on helping workers such as oil rig workers transition towards the field of renewable energy, for example’.
The climate activist was introduced to Greenpeace by her grandfather who, when she was a child, was involved in protesting over crumbling nuclear infrastructure in her native France.
“With Greenpeace, to me it’s very supportive. You have this group of amazing people. Some have been taking action for 15 or 20 years and everyone looks after each other,” she said.
“In a climate where news is sometimes quite bleak and depressing it is inspiring to feel you might be able to make a difference.”
The year has seen occasionally ill-tempered confrontation between climate protesters and motorists. In and around London, there have been ugly scenes as activists from anti-fossil fuel group Just Stop Oil sought to block roads including the M25.
Although the Greenpeace protest in Essex was not related to the orange-vested Just Stop Oil movement, Ms Pontida stressed the urgency of the ‘climate emergency’. She said: “We all live on this planet so we should very much care about it.
“I understand - sometimes - it can be hard to see the direct consequences of the climate crisis, because so far we have been quite privileged [in the UK].
“But it’s been hitting us regularly, in terms of drought this summer for example.
“We’ve seen it. It’s hard to ignore it, even if you close your eyes.”
Read more from this author
This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article