Just Stop Oil supporters have stopped traffic on Knightsbridge in London and sprayed paint on the outside of Harrods to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents. [1]
At 9 am today, 20 Just Stop Oil supporters walked onto Knightsbridge in central London and disrupted traffic by sitting in the road with banners. Some supporters glued onto the tarmac and others locked themselves together. Two supporters have also sprayed the outside of Harrods department store with orange paint.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said:
“Our government is criminally incompetent and morally bankrupt. They are actively seeking to accelerate fossil fuel production, which will kill millons of people, while failing to address the worst cost of living crisis this country has ever seen. Vulnerable people will be freezing to death in their homes this winter, while the government refuses to tax the rich and the big energy companies that are profiting from our misery.
We owe it to our young people to stop fossil fuels, we owe it to our workers to create a just transition to a zero carbon economy, we owe it to our old people to enable them to live with dignity. We need to rapidly reduce the demand for fossil fuel energy through a massive programme of renewables, insulation and free public transport paid for by taxing the fossil fuel companies obscene profits, and the rich who avoid paying their fair share.”
Andrew Brook, 60, a parent and teacher from Brighton said:
“The government seems to be an ‘anti-science alliance’. A rejection of facts and expertise leaves us in extreme peril. My students are somewhere between seething and utterly depressed. The see the future as dystopia or simply say, ‘we have no future’. I am here for them. I have worked all my life. Science says my children have no future. I find it hard to sleep at nights and this government make it worse almost every day.”
Rosie Sauvage, 64, a grandmother from Tunbridge Wells said:
“I want my 3 year old grandson and all of his generation and generations to come to have a liveable climate and enough food to eat. They don’t deserve to suffer because of the indifference and inaction of our current leaders.We demand that the UK government stops granting licences for new fossil fuel exploration which is in direct contradiction to stated government Net Zero policy. “
Just Stop Oil continues to peacefully resist the government’s plans to licence over 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025, and its failure to fulfil its promise to help people with their skyrocketing energy bills. These policy failures will cause misery for millions. Almost 8 million households are expected to fall into fuel poverty by April 1st 2023. [2]
Today’s roadblock follows over two weeks of continuous civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made 525 arrests, including 25 on Wednesday. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,800 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 all our lives. 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://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/news/
[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] 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.
