Maria Papoui

PROTESTERS took to a court on Monday to exercise their right to protest.

The demonstrators, part of the “Defend our Juries” group, said they were acting in solidarity with Trudi Warner, a 68-year-old who was arrested for holding a sign outside the Inner London Crown Court which read: “Jurors: you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.”

Ms Warner held this sign up outside while climate change protesters were on trial inside.
She now faces charges of contempt of court.

Maria Papoui, who has lived in Holloway for 30 years, was one of the protesters outside the Old Bailey on Monday.

“I’m here today because I read about Trudi,” she said.

“It really angered me, because alarm bells rang. Anybody being silenced in a court is serious, and I think it’s our right as citizens to be able to speak your truth in court, and basically the judge is an employee of the state.

“If another human being cannot speak their truth to the jury, who are other ordinary citizens, and that’s being prevented, I think it’s a really serious breach of our human rights in the UK. It’s fundamental as the fabric of a democratic society to have an independent voice that isn’t being paid by the state,” she added.

She said she didn’t give much thought to the prospect of being arrested herself, and just acted on a request to come and show support on Monday.

“I think the [authorities] are scared. People are starting to realise that things aren’t what they should be,” she said. “There’s obviously some sort of tide rising and they want to squash it.”