Just Stop Oil supporters have climbed onto motorway gantries around the M25 as part of their campaign to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents [1]
At 7.30am this morning, in at least six locations, supporters of Just Stop Oil climbed onto the overhead gantries of the M25, both clockwise and anti-clockwise causing police to halt traffic. Yesterday evening, Just Stop Oil contacted the Metropolitan Police and National Highways Ltd to advise them that there would major disruption on the M25, and ask them to implement a 30mph speed limit, in line with their responsibilities to keep the public safe.
Indigo Rumblelow, 28, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil from London said:
“What did you expect? This government is complicit in an illegal and unconstitutional plan to issue more licenses and consents for new oil and gas. A plan that will take the world over 1.5C, resulting in the collapse of ordered society, the loss of our rights and freedoms and the death of millions of people.
Our latest Prime Minister Rishi Sunak talks of the importance of ending our dependance on fossil fuels yet he is still planning to allow new fossil fuel projects. This is a failure of politics. People have the legal right under British law to cause disruption to prevent a greater harm: the right of necessity. We do not do this lightly. After thirty years of public debate, lobbying and petitioning, and three years of peaceful civil disobedience, we are still on course for catastrophic climate breakdown and we have nowhere else to go. The government is doubling down on fossil fuels, indicating ever greater levels of criminality.
In the face of this reality, disruptive civil resistance is now inevitable and justified. It will continue until the UK government changes course. We are serious. We have never been more serious. Our families, communities, our country and civilisation are on the cliff edge of destruction. We will not die silently and neither will the people, like you, your friends, neighbours and colleagues who know what has to be done.”
Anthony Whitehouse, 71, a grandfather and gardener from Dewsbury said:
“I have worked hard, supported my family and expected a secure retirement. Instead I find myself in civil resistance against a criminally negligent government. Along with everyone else who understands where we are heading I must try to prevent the disaster that is unfolding. To understand the consequences of climate collapse and not to act is to be complicit in the death of millions and the displacement of hundreds of millions of people from their homes. Ordinary hard working people deserve to know what is coming if we don’t halt new oil and gas.”
Today’s action follows four weeks of continuous civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made 678 arrests. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested nearly 2,000 times, with 6 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.
Stand with our supporters in prison, with the 1,700 murdered across the global south, for protecting all our lives. [3]
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 Joshua Smith, Louis McKechnie, Michelle Charlesworth, Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker. Elliott Cuciurean is also in prison for taking action against HS2.
[3] 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.
