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I’m facing 10 years in prison for climate protest. I’d still do it again

The UK’s broken justice system is locking young activists like me away – and we’ll all suffer the consequences

I’m facing 10 years in prison for climate protest. I’d still do it again
Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Published:
  • Update: On 25th May 2025, Ella was sentenced to 18 months in prison for "conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance".

My name’s Ella. I am a fairly average 22-year-old from Birmingham, central England. I have friends, a supportive family, and hopes and dreams for after graduation. I’m also facing up to ten years in prison.

On 5 August last year, I was arrested along with three others on a side street in Gatley, near Manchester, just after 4am. We had been planning to enter Manchester Airport’s airfield – provided it was safe to do so – to block the taxiway by glueing our hands to the tarmac. 

We didn’t get near the airport, but I have been held in HMP Styal, a women’s prison just outside Manchester, ever since. I was charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and spent six months in prison awaiting trial. I was found guilty in February and will have served three months by the time I am sentenced at the end of this month.