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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

British Student Protester Who Threw Fire Extinguisher Sentenced « Student Activism

British Student Protester Who Threw Fire Extinguisher Sentenced « Student Activism

British Student Protester Who Threw Fire Extinguisher Sentenced

Edward Woollard, the student who threw a fire extinguisher from the roof of Britain’s Conservative Party headquarters during raucous protests last November, was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment today.

Woollard, 18, was one of thousands of students and other activists who stormed the Millbank Tower building during the course of an anti-fee protest. Woollard threw the empty extinguisher from the roof of the building to the plaza below — his attorney said he aimed it at an unoccupied area, but police said they had to scurry away to avoid being hit.

The act was instantly condemned — not just by outside observers, but by protesters themselves, who immediately took up a chant “stop throwing shit!” In court, Woollard’s attorney described his client as “mortified