CASP came into being in 2021. People who had taken part in the Insulate Britain campaign were facing a harsher than expected response being charged with Causing a Public Nuisance. This was an offense which carried a potential life sentence and had been at that point very rarely used in protest cases. On top of that, first National Highways Limited and then Transport for London, took out injunctions against individuals involved in the campaign that led to five people receiving prison sentences.
There was clearly a need to marshal support which would continue even after the Insulate Britain campaign had finished. Enter CASP. Crowdfunders were set up that financed what was to become our Assistance Fund. Emotional and legal support teams were gathered together to help people through the difficulties they faced following the campaign.
But CASP from the outset was set up not just as a support system for one campaign but to share resources and expertise across any other campaigns who, like Insulate Britain, were committed to non-violent action on climate. In time CASP has built relationships with Just Stop Oil, Animal Rising, Fossil Free London, This is Rigged and others, as well as continuing to support people from the Insulate Britain campaign whose cases are still going through the courts.
As the climate crisis intensifies, we need a resilient community willing to take non-violent action. We need to bounce back time and again until we see the systemic change people and planet urgently need. CASP believes this resilience comes from pairing action with care.
