Should a 77 year old vicar be sent to prison for defying the court and standing up for the right to protest Govt inaction on climate? This is the question that a London magistrate will be considering tonight. [THREAD] 
Rev Sue Parfitt (77, of @CothamParishChurch in Bristol) and Ruth Jarman (a mother of three from Hampshire) are part of Christian @CClimateAction. They were arrested in Sept 2020 and charged with violation of a Section 14 order (an order used by police to outlaw public assembly).
Sue and Ruth were found guilty today (Thurs 18/3). They defied this ruling by filming in court. As Sue says in this video, she is "protesting the complicity of this court. It's not me who's guilty -- the government is guilty".
https://twitter.com/CClimateAction/status/1372580736079962114
Their noncooperation is in protest at the court's refusal to allow climate activists who participate in civil disobedience to present a necessity defence. Here's a thread about that & some other activists who've been imprisoned for contempt of court
https://twitter.com/ProfColinDavis/status/1368276328424869893
Here's @CathyEastburn talking about her reasons for noncooperation in court in January, which resulted in a two week prison sentence.
https://twitter.com/kinokast/status/1348703884273995776
The number of activists going to prison is growing by the week. I know of at least 7 who've opted to #DisobeyInTheDock over the past few months. When will national media publish articles about this phenomenon? The public interest in protest is self-evident. @guardian @Independent
Over the last few days we've heard many voices speaking up about the importance of protest in a democracy. People have declared that they will go to prison to defend the right to protest.
So let's speak up about the defenders of this right who are in prison RIGHT NOW.
So let's speak up about the defenders of this right who are in prison RIGHT NOW.
@iandunt @TomLondon6 @OborneTweets @paulbrandtv @CarolineLucas @GreenPartyMolly @natalieben @jeremycorbyn @ashsarkar @NafeezAhmed @ChrisGPackham @GretaThunberg @PlanB_earth @labourlewis @GeorgeMonbiot @netpol @TristanCorkPost @TheCanaryUK @BylineTimes @ClientJournoExp @XRBristol
Finally, let me once again express my love, admiration and support for Sue, Ruth and all those brave people who've shown the courage of their convictions in standing up to our criminally negligent government. Thank you!
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