Magna Carta protest: Women in their 80s charged

BBC
·1 min read
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Two women in their 80s have been charged with criminal damage after the glass around the Magna Carta was targeted at the British Library.

The Metropolitan Police said two protesters hit the protective enclosure around the historic document with a hammer and chisel on Friday.

The Rev Sue Parfitt, 82, from Bristol, and Judith Bruce, 85, from Swansea, have been bailed.

They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 20 June.

A statement from the British Library said its security team "intervened to prevent further damage to the case, which was minimal" and "the Magna Carta itself remains undamaged".

The library, which is on Euston Road between Euston and King's Cross stations, added that the gallery housing the display was closed until further notice.

Campaign group Just Stop Oil said a sign reading "the Government is breaking the law" was held up during the incident, before the women glued themselves to the display.

What is Magna Carta?

Magna Carta
[Getty Images]

  • Magna Carta outlined basic rights with the principle that no-one was above the law, including the king

  • It charted the right to a fair trial, and limits on taxation without representation

  • It inspired a number of other documents, including the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

  • Only three clauses are still valid - the one guaranteeing the liberties of the English Church; the clause confirming the privileges of the City of London and other towns; and the clause that states that no free man shall be imprisoned without the lawful judgement of his equals

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