Elderly Activist Faces Christmas in Prison Due to Tag Issues
A 77-year-old activist is set to spend Christmas in prison after a tagging issue prevents her release.
Bristol, UK, Gaie Delap, Just Stop Oil, Climate Protest
Bristol: So, here’s the scoop. A 77-year-old environmental activist, Gaie Delap, is stuck in prison this Christmas. Why? Well, it turns out they couldn’t find a tag small enough for her wrist.
Gaie, a retired teacher and Quaker, was jailed back in August for her role in some protests on the M25 last year. She was released in November to serve the rest of her sentence at home, but then the tagging company hit a snag.
They couldn’t fit an ankle tag on her due to health issues, and they just didn’t have anything that would work for her wrist. So, without a tag, the police had to issue an arrest warrant. She was just waiting at home, suitcase packed, until the police showed up and took her to Eastwood Park prison.
Her supporters are really worried. Not only is she spending Christmas behind bars, but she might have to finish her sentence there too. Gaie has some health problems that made it risky for her to wear an ankle tag, which is why they had to find an alternative.
When she was on bail, they had a different arrangement, but that wasn’t offered this time around. Her brother and a friend are pretty upset about this whole situation. They think it’s cruel and totally unnecessary, especially since they believe there are better options available.
They argue that Gaie isn’t a threat to anyone and that this whole thing is just a waste of resources. Her MP, Carla Denyer, also expressed her concerns about the harsh sentence, saying Gaie’s actions were peaceful and aimed at raising awareness about climate change.
Denyer was shocked when she heard about Gaie’s case and has reached out to the prisons minister to voice her concerns. In response, the minister said they can’t interfere with court decisions, and since no suitable tag was found, Gaie had to be recalled to prison.
It’s a tough situation, especially since Gaie was part of a larger group of activists who caused some major traffic jams during their protests. It’s just a real shame that it’s come to this.