30 supporters of Just Stop Oil have blocked the A4 Talgarth Road near Barons Court tube station in central London. They are demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents. [1]
Starting at 7.30am today, Just Stop Oil supporters walked into the A4 near Baron’s Court tube station by sitting in the road with banners, some glued onto the tarmac and others used lock ons.
Meanwhile, two Just Stop Oil supporters remain up the two 84m masts on the North side of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which has forced the police to close the bridge to traffic since early yesterday morning. The two supporters climbed the bridge masts at 5am Monday morning and the bridge has been closed for over 24 hours. [2]
Just Stop Oil continues to resist the government’s plans to greenlight 46 new oil and gas projects by 2025, to resist its intention to licence 100 new oil and gas fields and resists its plans to plunge millions into poverty by breaking its promise to help people with their energy bills so they are forced to chosed between heating and eating.
Lilah McKim, 21, a student from Brighton said:
“ It is said that protesting is like begging the powers that be to dig a well. Direct action is digging the well and daring them to stop you. The International Energy Agency said last year that if we want any chance of avoiding the worst effects of the climate emergency we can have no new oil. Yet the government is planning to grant over 100 new fossil-fuel licences. If the government doesn’t stop new oil, we will.”
Phil Snider, 37, a delivery driver from Southampton said:
“I’m doing this so I can look my children in the eye and say I did all I could. Climate disasters make me angry, governments have not done a thing for 30 years when they knew It was coming. The climate and cost of living crises are a beast with two heads – first it’s gonna bleed us dry..then it’s gonna take us all over a cliff. The government needs to get a grip and invest in green energy now.”
Kim Wainwright, 49, a mum of two and open university student from Southampton said
“On the current course our world will become unliveable in a very short time. Time has run out, drastic measures are called for. My children are 21 and 18, and I am taking non-violent direct action to give them a future. While I have the ability to do so, it’s my moral obligation to make a stand, even if it means multiple arrests and the chance of going to prison. Whether you agree with Just Stop Oil actions or not, focus on what’s driving people to do it, not what they are doing”
Today’s actions follow over two weeks of continuous civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made over 470 arrests. On Monday, there were 12 arrests of Just Stop Oil supporters, who blocked Victora Rd at BEIS and sprayed soup over the Government department. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,750 times, with 5 supporters currently in prison. [3]
This is not a one day event, expect us every day and anywhere. 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. [4]
Stand with our supporters in prison, with the 1,700 murdered across the global south, 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. Just Stop Oil is a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects. Climate Emergency Fund is Just Stop Oil’s primary funder for recruitment, training, and capacity building.
[2] https://juststopoil.org/2022/10/17/day-17-just-stop-oil-supporters-defy-gravity-by-climbing-the-qe2-bridge-forcing-police-to-close-the-bridge/
[3] 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.
[4] Just Stop Oil made this statement in response to the Home Secretary: https://juststopoil.org/2022/10/16/a-response-to-home-secretary-suella-braverman/
[5] A recent report from Global Witness says that more than 1,700 people have died while trying to prevent mining, oil drilling or logging on their lands.
