Leading actors and musicians including Bob Geldof, Olivia Colman and Emma Thompson are calling on the Home Office to reconsider the "harsh deportation" of a climate activist who is serving one of the longest prison sentences in modern British history for peaceful protest.
Along with the musicians Brian Eno and Jacob Collier, they are among about 600 artists who are urging James Cleverly to withdraw the deportation order issued to Marcus Decker.
Decker is serving a jail sentence of two years and seven months for a protest in which he climbed the Queen Elizabeth Bridge over the Dartford Crossing and unveiled a Just Stop Oil banner in October 2022.
Decker, who is German, was served a deportation order by the Home Office while in prison.
In their letter, the actors say: "We believe that punishing him [Decker] with deportation in addition to the 14 months he has already spent in prison is out of proportion to the crime committed and unconducive to the public good."
They say the protest Decker created was peaceful, adding "no one was harmed" and that it lasted less than two days.
"It was to prevent horrific disruption and suffering that Marcus took part in this action."
More than 150,000 people have signed a petition against Decker's deportation.
The letter says: "We urge you to consider what it would look like to the rest of the world if the UK, which prides itself in leading on climate action, were to start deporting human rights defenders like Marcus."
Decker's partner, Holly Cullen-Davies, a musician, said: "What I would say to the government, though, is you cannot deport dissent and you cannot deport the climate crisis."
Decker is unlikely to be deported immediately on his release as he has filed a legal challenge to the order.