A group of anti-Ulez activists who staged a protest outside London mayor Sadiq Khan’s home in Tooting have been found guilty of harassment.
Known as the ‘Tooting Four’, the group comprised Nick Arlett, Lloyd Dunsford, Martin Whitehead and Alison Young, and their protest was held on April 6 as the mayor’s re-election campaign gathered pace.
The group continue to profess their innocence, and plan to appeal against what they called a “travesty of justice”. They said the verdict was “another body blow for free speech and peaceful protest in this country”.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told on Friday, December 6, that the protest was named ‘Khanage at Khan’s’. District judge Daniel Sternberg said the event featured “amplified music”, including the theme tune to the TV series The Bill.
He added that the protest was “loud” and included “offensive language”, approximately 100 metres from the mayor’s home. One of the protesters, Ms Young, was wearing a dinosaur costume.
The “Tooting Four” were part of a larger group of around 100 protesters who demonstrated near the mayor’s home that day.
“During the arrest phase, a number of protesters became aggressive and struggled with the police”, said Mr Sternberg.
The judge said he was satisfied that the protesters “knew, or ought to have known, that their presence was likely to cause alarm or distress to Sadiq Khan”. He added that the law does not require evidence of whether Mr Khan or anyone else “actually was” caused alarm or distress, only that the protest was likely to have had that effect.
The mayor is not thought to have been in his house during the protest, but the judge said that neighbours on the street were “disrupted in their private lives whilst in their homes”.
Mr Arlett, who Mr Sternberg found to have a higher level of “culpability” than the others, was ordered to pay a total of £1,310, comprising a £750 fine, £300 victim surcharge and £260 of legal costs.
The other three were each ordered to pay £960, comprising a £500 fine, £200 victim surcharge and £260 of legal costs.
The victim surcharges will not go to Mr Khan, the judge said, explaining that the money will be used to support victims of crime in general via the Victim and Witness General Fund.
Speaking outside the court afterwards, Mr Arlett said: “I am absolutely disgusted that this country has become as it has, with our judiciary. Are they there to uphold the law, or the will of their political masters?”
The four point out that Just Stop Oil, who staged a protest at then-PM Rishi Sunak’s Kensington home in November last year, were charged with harassment, but were all acquitted by a judge at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, following a successful submission that there was no case to answer.
“Don’t tell me there’s no bias within the law in this country,” said Mr Arlett.
The group’s spokesman, Simon Fawthrop - a Conservative councillor in Bromley - said: “Today has seen a travesty of justice… [This] judgement is another body blow for free speech and peaceful protest in this country.
“In this case, you had four innocent people peacefully protesting against the Ulez expansion and campaigning to change the decision by Sadiq Khan. Not by disruption, not by violence, not by threats, intimidation or harassment, but by genuine democratic means.”
He added the group will be “discussing with their lawyers appealing this conviction and sentence at the earliest opportunity”.
