Insulate Britain reverend, 63, who caused traffic chaos defends eco-stunt
An reverend who helped bring rush hour chaos to the City of today defended his 'non-violent resistance to the murderous behaviour of our government'. Rev Mark Coleman, 63, along with Daphne Jackson, 72, Beatrice Pooley, 65, and Stephanie Aylett, 28, sat in the road at the Bishopsgate junction during a protest by the eco-mob. The four were convicted of causing a public nuisance by blocking traffic on October 25, 2021 - and face sentence at Inner London Crown Court later today. Addressing Judge Silas Reid, Rev Coleman said: 'I sat on Bishopsgate in the City of London with many other supporters of Insulate Britain as an act of peaceful, non-violent resistance to the murderous behaviour of our government. 'To leave people in cold, badly insulated homes, especially older and vulnerable people, is immoral and cruel. 'British people care for their neighbours, and do not usually walk by ''on the other side'', ignoring the suffering of others. Our families, friends and neighbours are suffering. It does not have to be like this. 'Insulating Britain and stopping these reckless plans for new gas and oil wells are common sense first steps away from disaster. I call on Rishi Sunak to do his duty as a minister of the crown: to serve the people.' Coleman attended the 36,000 a year Merchiston Castle boarding school in Edinburgh before graduating in law at Kent University and getting a master's degree in Theology. He was ordained in 2000 and served as a rector in West Derby, Liverpool before moving to Rochdale in 2014 where he was made vicar and Borough Dean. He announced his retirement in February last year due to Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with several years ago. David Matthew, prosecuting, said: 'If the court does not maintain the right of the public to use a public road it would be a failure and rightly resented by the public. This was aimed to cause disruption. It aimed to seek publicity. It is clear that thousands of vehicles were affected. 'Thousands of people were affected including thousands on buses, which were delayed or diverted. This is the effect that this court has to deal with. 'The block at Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street lasted in excess of two hours. There is always a risk in causing heavy congestion. It could affect the use of emergency vehicles.' Judge Reid had ruled that the activists could not refer to climate change as a motivation for their actions during the trial in January. He then found Aylett to be in contempt of court for referring to climate change in her closing speech but accepted her apology. Rev Coleman, from Rochdale, Jackson, from Sedbergh, Cumbria, Aylett, of St Albans, Herts, and Pooley, of Kendal, Cumbria, denied but were convicted of causing a public nuisance. Insulate Britain has demanded that the British government fund the insulation of all social housing by 2025. Earlier this week Just Stop Oil protester Edred Whittingham, 25, jumped on the snooker table at The Crucible in Sheffield, covering the green baize with orange powder. Another protester was stopped from gluing herself to another table on the first day of the World Snooker Championships. JSO has demanded that the British government stop new fossil fuel licensing and production agreements. The hearing continues.