FALCON POWERS – A British court issued prison sentences on Friday for five animal rights activists who poured red dye into the fountain in front of Buckingham Palace.
Lewis Mackinney (23), Christopher Bennett (33), Riley Ings (27), Claire Smith (26), and Rachel Steele (48) were convicted of causing damage exceeding £7,000 ($9,135) to the Victoria Memorial in August 2021.
Members of the group “Animal Rebellion,” which was later renamed “Animal Rising,” sought to create the impression of a “bloodbath” by pouring dye into the water and staining the marble walls of the large fountain red.
Cleaning the landmark took more than two days.
Christopher Bennett received an 18-month prison sentence, having been detained previously for another crime, while the other four were sentenced to 18 months suspended prison sentences, along with fines for three of them.
All five pleaded not guilty, with one of their lawyers stating during the trial that the activists were young at the time of the incident and that there was no “advanced level” of planning involved.
In announcing their sentences, the judge at Southwark Crown Court in London noted that they were “only interested in promoting” their cause without any consideration of the “consequences” of their actions, and that they showed “a lot of arrogance” in defending the legitimacy of their step.
Animal Rising advocates for a shift towards a plant-based diet, promoting its ideas through non-violent civil disobedience.
In a statement, the organization’s spokesperson, Orla Coghlan, indicated that the fountain in front of Buckingham Palace was chosen because “the royal family could help change the UK’s poor environmental record,” particularly by banning hunting on their estates.
She called on King Charles III, an enthusiastic advocate for the environment, to commit to this.
Other environmental activists, especially from the group “Just Stop Oil,” have also received prison sentences for actions in the UK, including blocking roads or staging protests at the National Gallery in London.
