Watch the roadblock live here
Four Just Stop Oil supporters are blocking Abbey Road, London. They are demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents. [1]
The four stepped out at 1pm, onto the iconic zebra crossing on Abbey Road made famous as the cover to Beatle’s Abbey Road album. After recreating the famous crossing, they made the following statement, before gluing onto the crossing.
Let’s come together, as we face broken politics, eye watering energy bills and the loss of our freedoms, rights and democracy. Stand with Just Stop Oil supporters in prison, with the 1,700 murdered across the global south, with the 33 million displaced in Pakistan, with those who famine is stalking across Africa.
We can work it out, we need to stop new oil and gas, burning more will make our situation worse, perilous. New oil and gas is a toxic Truss policy proposed by a Prime Minister who wrecked the economy in less than 40 days, who sought to make the rich even wealthier while leaving families too poor to heat a tin of soup.
Imagine if our government sought to protect rather than harm us. We will not let broken politics wreck our only home and destroy all that we hold dear, schools, hospitals, transport, the ability to grow food, ordered civil society is on the line.
Because, 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.
Shaun Davies, a 32 year old musician from Manchester said:
“We’re now the results of our past actions, and in the future we’ll be the results of the actions we’re performing now.” so said George Harrison. Never have his words rang more true than they do today; so here we are, in his spirit, saying that what we do in the next three years will determine the future of humanity. Let’s not sleepwalk into the furnace; let’s face our fears and act with love and courage to save all the wonderful culture humankind has created.”
Eben Lazarus, a 22 year old musician from Brighton said:
“I’m a musician, I don’t want to be here disrupting the most iconic location associated with a band I admire and love. But unless we tackle the climate crisis, we will lose all that has been created, all that will be created, all that brings joy and comfort to millions. Music is one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of humankind. It can bring people together, comfort us, save us. We risk losing it all. We need everyone to come together and stand in the face of this atrocity.”
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. Policy failures that will force millions into poverty and facing a choice between heating, eating, or providing the basic essentials for themselves and their families.
Today’s roadblock follows over three weeks of continuous civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made at least 570 arrests.
On Saturday, there were 16 arrests of Just Stop Oil supporters, who blocked roads at Islington Green. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,750 times, with 5 supporters currently in prison. [2]
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. [3]
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. [4]
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] 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.
[3] 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/
[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.
