A group of activists arrested during the Flood Wall Street action against capitalism’s role in climate change have been found not guilty at their trial in New York City. On September 22, the day after the historic People’s Climate March, more than 100 people were arrested as thousands sat down in Manhattan’s Financial District to protest the role of big banks in backing the extractive industries fueling climate change. Ten of the defendants fought their charges in court, hoping to use the necessity defense to argue the urgency of climate change required civil disobedience. Instead, the judge ruled the New York City Police Department’s order for protesters to disperse was unconstitutional. But defense attorney Martin Stolar said the judge acknowledged the urgency of climate change.

Martin Stolar: “The court found all 10 defendants not guilty, releasing them and basically endorsing the position that they took, that climate change is a serious, urgent problem requiring attention, and basically complimenting the defendants for being out there and protesting. And then, because the police department made a mistake in the way they ordered people to leave the demonstration area, the judge said the order to leave was impermissible under the Constitution, and therefore he found all the defendants not guilty for violating an unlawful order.”