Cock-eyed and Bull-headed

A protester against government failure to address climate breakdown blocked a busy London road junction by sitting in the middle of it. They were arrested, charged with causing a public nuisance, tried, and convicted. So far, so business-as-usual. They were forbidden by the judge from mentioning, as part of their defence, climate change as the motivation for their actions. They chose to defy the judge and explain their reason for their action as part of their closing statement to the jury. The judge has found them guilty (actually, they offered a plea of guilty) of contempt and sentenced them to 8 weeks jail

I assume the judge believes they have a duty to prevent their court becoming a platform for campaigning. The judge's position is that the court is there to uphold the law, not to provide a forum to debate the merit of the law

The protester - who I think genuinely sees themselves as a good person who cares for their fellow citizens - thinks that climate breakdown will bring about a breakdown in the rule of law, and that the court is acting against both its own long-term interests and those of the citizens it serves

Our neighbours are in holiday. We are in loco parentis for three Buff Orpingtons. I started writing this thinking that somewhere I would fit in a line about headless chickens. Maybe I should leave you to make your own choices about where it should be attached