Despite being arrested 10 times, Dr Jessica Upton remains steadfast in her mission to raise awareness about the climate crisis by flouting the law, even if people disagree with her methods.
Dr Upton, a vet from East Oxford, has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on numerous occasions by demonstrating with Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.
Both environmental activist groups have hit the headlines for their illegal methods of bringing attention to climate issues, including blocking traffic, climbing onto bridges, disrupting events and vandalism attacks on priceless works of art – most recently Van Gogh's Sunflowers.
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While these methods may seem extreme to some, Dr Upton asserts the Government is forcing the hand of protesters as they feel it is not working fast enough to address the climate emergency.
She said she got to a point where signing petitions, writing to her MP and giving money to wildlife charities felt ineffective as these methods did not result in decisive action.
“Unfortunately, we have to be disruptive. If we are not disruptive the Government will just ignore what needs to be done.
“Nobody likes disrupting people’s lives and upsetting people but the bigger picture is that if we do not do that now then there will be disruption that cannot be arrested.
“You cannot arrest a flood blocking a road, you cannot arrest crop failure. The Government cannot arrest its way out of that.
“Disruption seems to be the only thing the Government will take notice of,” she explained.
The 53-year-old added that if the general public have a better method for getting the Government to act they should let the groups know.
She said: “We do not enjoy sitting in roads upsetting people, we do not enjoy gluing onto things. It is not the way anyone wants to spend the day but – unfortunately - gluing yourself and blocking traffic gets a reaction from the Government.”
Born in Market Drayton in Shropshire, Dr Upton is not a newcomer to environmental matters.
Growing up in the countryside, she was surrounded by animals and her grandmother encouraged her interest them. As well as this ,she was an early supporter of the World Wildlife Fund and took notice of the impacts people were having on the natural world from an early age.
Her career choice as a vet was a natural progression from these passions and was, in turn, the foundation of her environmental activism.
In 2019, Dr Upton said she realised “we were all blinding ourselves to the seriousness of the situation” and felt the world’s Government’s were not doing enough.
“One of Extinction Rebellion’s early talks convinced me that signing my petitions, having my subscriptions to organisations, doing my recycling, writing to my MP and all that stuff we are encouraged to do, just does not enough through to anyone.
“So, you just have to do one step beyond,” she told this newspaper.
While environmental protesters often face backlash for their actions from politicians and the media, Dr Upton feels one stand out moment for her was one of quiet gratitude.
She explained that while she and a group of demonstrators blocked the road outside New Scotland Yard a mother came up to her with their young child and thanked her.
She recalled: “I feel we are giving a voice to people who are scared about the environmental crisis but are so swamped by their daily lives they cannot come and do this.
“If you have a small child, have a job and are trying to pay your mortgage, then you do not have the headspace to go out an protest.
“Most of general public know we are in a climate crisis but do not know how they can do anything.
“I am lucky in that I can get arrested but I know my life is stable, I cannot be deported or be beaten up in jail.
“When people who aren’t able to do that for whatever reason come and say thank you, it is amazing and you do feel there is hope.”
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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