'I was arrested during an Extinction Rebellion protest. Now I'm a business analyst with a criminal record'

A police ban on Extinction Rebellion protests in London last month has been ruled unlawful by the High Court. Mike Jones was at these protests and arrested for his actions. He believes civil disobedience is the best way to achieve climate action.

Video above: Mike Jones arrested during an Extinction Rebellion protest in London

I'm a 55 year old business analyst in the UK and I joined Extinction Rebellion just a few months ago.

I was arrested for blocking a road in London outside an Oil and Gas conference. After I was carried off and taken to the police station, I refused to identify myself. The duty sergeant was unimpressed, as he either had to let me go or get me to a court, where the consequences for non-identification are a prison sentence.

So he woke me up every hour throughout the night to ask me my name.

Eventually I went to court, where I plead guilty and was fined 100 pounds. Now I'm a business analyst with a criminal record.

I joined Extinction Rebellion after my niece joined the movement. She made me aware of how little my government was doing to alleviate the effects of the climate catastrophe that is fast approaching. I realise I probably won't live to see the worst of the problems, I am doing this for her and any children she might have.

I discussed this with work colleagues and realised not only how worried many other people are, but just how many excuses they have for inaction. “We are a small country it's not our fault," or, “It’s the Chinese," and, “There is nothing we can do."

I do not accept this. 

The UK was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and has a big responsibility for the global warming that has happened to date. Much of the Chinese pollution is incurred when making goods to export for us to consume. There are many things we can do and Extinction Rebellion's main goal is to reduce our net carbon emissions to zero, within ten years, using solutions proposed by a Citizens Assembly that can convene a variety of expert opinion, and is binding on parliament.

Mike Jones says he won't accept excuses for inaction on Climate Change. Source: Dateline

Although the movement is not political, I am aware of the amount of money donated to political parties from corporations heavily invested in fossil fuels. 

My only recourse is peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience which led to my arrest. This is the statement I read out in court. 

"A few years ago I took a degree in International Politics. One of the courses was a module in law. My tutor taught me that law was not about justice or morality, it was about the maintenance of order and continuation of the status quo.

I did not really understand this at the time.

Today, I think I do.

Our planet faces a crisis unprecedented in human history. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, species are declared extinct on a daily basis. Weather is becoming more chaotic and people are already fleeing flooding in low level pacific islands.

For 30 years many of the general public have fought legal and peaceful battles to try and get the government to take some action on this. The government has refused to do so.

Extinction Rebellion was formed one year ago in response to this inaction, and has embarked on a campaign of peaceful and non violent civil disobedience to pressure the government into taking this seriously.

So now I stand before the court today and I finally understand what my tutor meant and what the legal systems role in this is.

This is not about justice and it is not about morality, it is about enforcing the status quo.

A status quo that is destroying the planet. 

I look around this court room and I see intelligent educated people who no doubt are as well informed as me on climate change and government inaction.

I think you should all feel ashamed of your roles in enforcing the status quo while I personally feel proud of my role in peaceful and non-violent action against it."