Environmental Activist Acquitted in Pink Paint Protest Case
An environmental campaigner accused of hypocrisy for using a diesel van during a paint-throwing protest has been cleared by a jury after successfully arguing her actions constituted lawful protest. Nicola Stickells, 55, was acquitted of criminal damage charges following her demonstration targeting local government buildings in Norwich.
The Protest and Its Aftermath
Stickells used a Mercedes Vito diesel van to travel between the headquarters of Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council on February 15, 2021. As part of the Burning Pink campaign, she threw pink water-based paint over both buildings to protest what she described as inadequate climate action by local authorities. The cleanup costs for both buildings reportedly reached thousands of pounds.
Following the incidents, the mother-of-two drove to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre and surrendered herself to authorities. While admitting her involvement in both paint-throwing events, Stickells maintained she had a lawful excuse for her actions during her trial at Norwich Crown Court.
Courtroom Arguments and Verdicts
Stickells told the jury of eight women and four men that her protest was necessary to draw greater attention to climate change. She explained the diesel van was required because transporting the paint via public transport or bicycle would have been impractical. The activist, who studied environmental science at the University of East Anglia before leaving the course, argued her actions were justified by the urgency of the climate crisis.
However, her accomplice Gabriella Ditton, 32, received a mixed verdict. The illustrator and animator was acquitted for the incident at the county council building but convicted of criminal damage for the protest at the city council headquarters. Ditton, who represented herself, argued that using a diesel vehicle was not hypocritical because its environmental impact was "overshadowed by the enormity of the climate crisis."
Sentencing and Wider Context
Judge Anthony Bate indicated that a sentence of unpaid work was "very much in mind" for Ditton when she returns for sentencing next month, pending assessment results from the Probation Service. This case represents the latest in a series of acquittals for environmental activists who admit involvement in protests but argue their actions constitute lawful demonstration.
Speaking after the verdict, Stickells emphasized: "This is not a victory for us. We are facing the greatest threat humanity has ever known. We need many more people to stand up, take action, and force the changes that are so desperately needed. This is the responsibility of our time."
Protest Details and Precedents
The vandalism, which was live-streamed, caused between £3,000 and £4,000 in damage at County Hall before the activists repeated the protest at City Hall. Both councils had received warning emails a month earlier demanding action on climate change or facing "campaign of non-violent direct action."
This case follows similar acquittals for environmental protesters, including three Extinction Rebellion members cleared in 2022 after obstructing a Docklands Light Railway train, and three Just Stop Oil activists acquitted in October last year after spraying Stonehenge with orange powder. In those cases, defendants cited their rights to protest under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Some Members of Parliament have warned that such acquittals provide a "green light" for people to commit crimes under the banner of protest, while activists maintain these actions are necessary to address what they see as governmental inaction on climate change.
