Just Stop Oil activists have been banned from protesting in London

Three Just Stop Oil activists have been banned from protesting in London ahead of their trial for allegedly pouring soup on two Vincent Van Gogh paintings in the National Gallery.

Mary Somerville (77), Stephen Simpson (71) and Phillipa Green (24) were each charged with two counts of damaging the frames of Sunflowers 1889 and Sunflowers 1888 by pouring soup on the artwork.

All three previously appeared at Southwark Crown Court and pleaded not guilty before being released on conditional bail.

The judge banned them from taking part in industrial action within the boundaries of the M25 motorway until their trial, which is due to start in January 2026.

“Big Blur”

Mr Simpson, from Shipley, West Yorkshire, and Ms Somerville, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, appeared in court in person, while Ms Green, from Penryn, Cornwall, appeared in court via video link.

Their lawyer Raj Chada argued that the ban was a “disproportionate” breach of their right to protest because London is the “seat of government”.

However, Judge Alexander Milne said: “The application of the defendants’ right to protest is relative and there appears to be a large dilution between the exercise of this right and the commission of offences.

“This court does not ban them from lawfully protesting anywhere else in the UK, but I will ban them from taking part in any protests on the M25.”

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