Protesters Defend Spray-Painting Darwin’s Grave as Not Criminal Damage

Two Just Stop Oil protesters who spray-painted Charles Darwin’s grave in Westminster Abbey have entered pleas of not guilty for criminal damage, stating that their action was justified by “the threat the world is facing.”

Alyson Lee, 66, of Park Grove, Derby, and Diane Bligh, 77, of Langham Place, Frome, Somerset, were responsible for painting the grave with orange paint as part of a protest on Jan. 13.

Both individuals are facing charges for causing criminal damage by writing “1.5 is dead” on the scientist’s resting place in central London.

They expressed concerns about receiving a fair trial, citing the Crown Prosecution Service’s oversight of “crimes against humanity.”

Due to court backlogs, their trial is not scheduled until more than a year from now.

During a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court, both Lee and Bligh pleaded not guilty.

Vincent Scully, the prosecutor, informed the court: “The allegation is that on January 13 both defendants entered Westminster Abbey and spray-painted an orange slogan about 1.5 degrees over the grave of Charles Darwin.

“Both the defendants accept doing part of the spray-painting each.

“Bligh accepts painting ‘dead.’ Lee accepts painting ‘1.5.’

“Both were wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts and then gave a press conference afterwards.”

“The cost of the damage was about £10 to £15 to clean off and took a number of hours for specialists to do so.”

Despite the judge’s advice against it, the pair chose to represent themselves.

Judge Nicholas Rimmer said: “I encourage you to consider professional advocates for assistance—it may assist you.”

Bligh, wearing a green cardigan and blue scarf, said, “I have considered it and I’m choosing to be self-representing.”

Lee, wearing an orange cardigan, said, “That’s the same for me.”

Outlining their defences, the pair said they would be unable to receive a fair trial.

Bligh said, “I need time to think about it, but the way my mind is moving at the moment, I am not a criminal and the damage was proportional to the threat that the whole world is facing.”

Lee added: “I need time to formulate the whole thing, but I may well be using the defence of the impossibility of having a fair trial on the basis that the judicial system is failing to prosecute the real system.

“The CPS have been informed of major crimes against humanity and they are refusing to pursue those, and that is the only reason why we have had to resort to what we’ve done.”

“So I don’t believe we can have a fair trial in those circumstances.”

The pair are scheduled for trial on May 5, 2026, with the trial expected to last three days.