Just Stop Oil supporters blocked three major roads in central London this morning causing severe traffic disruption for the eighth day running as they demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licenses and consents. [1]
This morning, around 40 Just Stop Oil supporters established roadblocks on three roads adjacent to the A501, resulting in severe disruption on Marylebone Road. They are blocking the Edgware Road, Gloucester Place and Station Approach. The groups are sitting in the road, and a large number have glued themselves to the tarmac, making it more difficult for police officers to remove them.
Patrick Walker, 33, a local council worker from Newport said:
“Up until very recently I really thought the government would eventually take action to save us from the worst of the climate crisis. Then the IPCC warned us this year that we had to stop new fossil fuel extraction if we wanted a liveable future, only for governments to completely ignore them. I realised then the government wouldn’t listen and I had to take action if I wanted a future for my family.”
Felicity Rice, 41, a mother of two, ex GP, and local councillor from Dorset said:
“It’s fairly simple, the government needs to insulate homes and focus on renewable energy. What makes tackling climate change and fuel poverty complicated is the fact that current MPs have accepted thousands of pounds in sponsorship from fossil fuel companies.”
Jayne Wade, 40, a mother and copywriter from Bristol said:
“The UK government is calling mothers like me “extremists” for trying to protect the lives of our children. Yet the UN secretary general Antonio Guterrres has said that the real extremists are the governments continuing to pursue fossil fuel extraction.
“Liz Truss is set to issue 100 new gas and oil licenses – and in doing so she is handing our children a death sentence. Nobody is talking about our kids having a bright future – the question is whether they’ll have a liveable one. And I didn’t bring my daughter into the world only for her life to be cut short by the actions of greedy oil giants and corrupt genocidal governments like ours. All I want is for my daughter to have a chance. All I want is for her to be safe. ”
Today’s action is the start of a second week of continuous disruption by supporters of Just Stop Oil. The road blockades, which had previously targeted roads in and around Westminster, have now moved into the wider London area, while mobile disruption continues to take place in and around Westminster.
Animal Rebellion will also be taking part in acts of non-violent civil resistance at several iconic locations in the centre of London.
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
“We will continue in Civil Resistance because it is the right thing to do, and today, Animal Rebellion will also be non-violently resisting on the streets of London. We recognise that the need to end new oil and gas will also require us to transition away from high carbon animal agriculture, and that this must be done while supporting farmers and their communities.”
The actions are timed to coincide with the launch of a new round of oil and gas licensing in which over 100 new licences for oil and gas exploration are likely to be awarded and follow news that the government plans to fast track 5 new oil and gas projects, including the Cambo field, aiming to get the vast majority starting construction by the end of 2023. [2][3]
They also follow an energy price hike on October 1st which means almost 8 million households are expected to fall into fuel poverty by April 1st 2023. [4]
This is not a one day event, this is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project. Our supporters will be returning – today, tomorrow and the next day – and the next day after that – and every day until our demand is met: no new oil and gas in the UK.
We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people. Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.
Stand with our supporters in prison, with the 1700 murdered across the global, for protecting our futures. We will not die silently, it will be ordinary people, like you, your friends, colleagues and neighbours who do what our government cannot. It will take all of us. [5]
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] 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. More information here: https://juststopoil.org/
[2] https://www.ft.com/content/8146804f-770e-42ee-8435-72469f92b4fd
[4] https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/news/
[5] There are now 5 Just Stop Oil supporters in prison on remand or serving sentences for taking action to demand that the government halts new oil and gas licences. They are Simon Milner-Edwards, Margaret Reid, Michelle Charlesworth, Joshua Smith and Louis McKechnie. Also in prison are Madelaine Budd for the ‘Captain Tom’ action, Scott Breen for taking action against the Southampton to Heathrow pipeline and Elliott Cuciurean for taking action against HS2.
