Breaking: Just Stop Oil supporters invade pitch during the Spurs vs West Ham game

At around 5:40pm today, four young people ran onto the pitch during the Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United football match to draw attention to the choice they are now forced to make: to step up and resist a government that is harming us, or to stand by and allow unimaginable suffering to unfold.

The group attempted to lock onto the goal posts before they were led away by stewards. The group were wearing Just Stop Oil t-shirts which carry the link — bit.ly/WeHaveNoFuture which leads to video messages from the group. [1]

Speaking before the match, Nathan, 22 from Coventry said:

“I’m a massive footie fan but I’m about to go and disrupt a football match and I’m terrified. As a kid I loved going to Coventry City matches with my Dad and later with my mates. But right now millions around the world are reduced to fighting for their lives – rather than watching football.”

“Oil is fuelling wars and destroying our future and our government wants to encourage more of it. It’s already killing the world’s most vulnerable people. If we don’t stop drilling for more oil and gas, there will be vast areas of the world too hot to grow food, billions on the move, conflict, starvation and death.”

“ We don’t have to stand by and watch this happen. Ordinary people can say no, not in my name. We can join in mass civil resistance against this genocidal government. We can demand an end to new fossil fuel projects in the UK.

Today’s game is the fourth Premier League match this week disrupted by supporters of Just Stop Oil. Games were interrupted at the Emirates stadium on Wednesday, Goodison Park on Thursday and Molineux Stadium on Friday. 

Louis, 21, who locked onto a goal post at the Goodison Park, interrupting play for 7 minutes on Thursday said:

“It was the most terrifying act I’ve ever taken. Sitting in the stadium feeling the energy of the crowd, I very nearly didn’t follow through. Then I looked at the faces of the other fans, and knew I had to take this action for them. They all deserve to know what’s coming, they all deserve the chance to make an informed decision whether to act on their future.”

 “These people have been betrayed by their leaders and their government and I felt a moral duty to give them a fighting chance. A fire alarm going off isn’t pleasant, it isn’t fun, it’s distressing, but if you act when you hear it, that might just save you and your loved ones.

Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups taking direct action to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK. 

We are calling on ordinary people of any age into civil resistance against the government. Every single person counts. Find out what we are doing and why it will work using juststopoil.org/zoom or come to a talk in your area.

ENDS

Press contact:    07762 987334

Email: ​​​​​​​[email protected]

High quality photos and video footage available here: Press Media

Website: https://juststopoil.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustStopOil/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just.stopoil/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/juststop_oil

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-t4U1Azf8AOkCBJILSNBmw

Notes to Editors

[1] About Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.

We must urgently end our reliance on fossil fuels to avoid irreversible changes in the earth’s climate system. We cannot continue to burn fossil fuels in the belief that future developments in carbon capture and storage and other so-called “unicorn technologies” will allow us to suck vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

The UK must begin this process immediately. It starts by calling a halt to any further fossil fuel projects on the UK Continental Shelf. That would give us eight years of fossil fuel production left in which to rapidly transition to a zero carbon economy.

Everyone knows we have to engage in massive changes. Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups demanding the no-brainer things be done immediately – actions that will reduce the demand for fossil fuel energy dramatically such as insulating our homes, rethinking how we travel, getting on with renewable energy and making sure no-one is left behind. 

We either come together as humanity or we die. Youth know which they choose. They have already chosen. They are in the streets to demand a future. We are all in the streets to make sure they get it. It’s as basic as that.

Further information about Just Stop Oil and our demands here: https://www.juststopoil.org