Flood Wall St.

The group of protestors called the Flood Wall Street 11 may soon be able to argue in court that their acts of civil disobedience were legally justified due to the imminent threat that global warming poses to the safety of the planet. During the first day of the trial in Manhattan criminal court on Monday, the judge signaled that he might consider hearing their argument. The group plans to use the necessity defense, which provides justification for breaking the law in order to avoid imminent harm. The defendants pled not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct for participating in the Flood Wall Street demonstrations that occurred in Lower Manhattan on September 22, the day after the historic People’s Climate March. Thousands of people occupied the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street to protest the financial institutions bankrolling projects that contribute to global warming.