WATCH NOW: Adrian Johnson clashes with Tom Harwood on Just Stop Oil acquittal
By Georgia Pearce
Published: 16/05/2024
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GB News host Tom Harwood has blasted Just Stop Oil spokesman Adrian Johnson after a protester in the climate group was cleared of criminal damage charges.
Lora Johnson spray painted the famous Scotland Yard sign with orange paint in 2022, and has today been cleared of criminal damage charges.
Johnson's barrister went so far as to liken her to civil rights campaigner "Rosa Parks".
Appearing on GB News, Adrian Johnson said Lora was "quite rightly" acquitted, and the Jury had decided that her actions were "peaceful".
Johnson told GB News: "They decided that the damage was not significant.
"And importantly, they came to the conclusion that convicting Lora would be a disproportionate interference with her right to the freedom of expression, which is a massively important point."
Host Tom was infuriated by the decision and claimed that if her actions were "not criminal damage", he could "come and paint your house".
Tom fumed: "I really passionately believe that the economy would grow faster if we had lower taxes. I think more people would be better fed. I think we'd have less poverty. Can I just come and write tax cuts on your house?"
Johnson argued that Tom would need to be "taking action against the Government", which has "nothing to do with his house".
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Tom hit back, raging: "That's what I'd be doing? I'd be writing tax cuts on your house saying I think that's what we need."
Cohost Emily then pressed Johnson on how the ruling of this case may "worry a lot of people", as it may become "quite a dangerous place" if "everyone just did this" like Lora Johnson has.
Emily explained: "If someone put orange paint all over my workplace, I'd probably feel at the very least intimidated. And surely this is criminal damage? We can't just all go around spraying orange paint. It seems ludicrous to me. Rather entitled!"
Johnson disagreed with Emily and further defended the protest, responding: "I would reassure your viewers and yourselves, for that matter, that they have no need to worry because we live in a country that has fantastic laws and legal protection.
"However, Lora was taking this action because and she was doing this in support of law and order and the rule of law."
In a statement, Johnson told Just Stop Oil: "I’ve just been found not guilty after six days at Southwark Crown Court by a jury of my peers. The action I took was painting the New Scotland Yard sign orange, in resistance to the government’s genocidal approval of new oil and gas licences.
"I would like to ask the MET police: who are they there to serve and protect? The good people of this country? Or the oil-corrupted government?
"I would like to ask them how they are planning to police the mass hysteria, the panic, the fear, the looting, the theft, the hoarding and the inevitable violence that will result when our shelves are empty and we can’t feed our children?"
