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]
From 6:30 this morning, around 10 supporters of Just Stop Oil climbed onto the overhead gantries of the M25 in multiple locations, both clockwise and anti-clockwise causing police to halt traffic.
They have been joined by supporters of Animal Rebellion to disrupt traffic on London’s orbital motorway.[2]
Isabel Rock, 41, an artist from South London said:
“I’m doing this for my baby nephew and his unborn sister. I want them to have a chance at a future. I want this for all the children everywhere. I’ve had a life full of love and privilege, I want to give something back. The government is responsible for criminal inaction on the climate crisis. They should be in prison, not me. It is my moral duty to cause disruption to force the government to act.”
Sam Holland, 20, a former student from Leeds said:
“I’m taking action because I have no choice. If governments across the world are allowed to drill for more oil and gas, we face a future of crop failure, starvation and social collapse. Civil resistance and mass disruption gives us a chance of forcing them to change. I am risking prison time but I’m willing to do that because prison is nothing compared to what is coming down the road. I will not sit by and do nothing whilst this horror unfolds.”
Yesterday, 15 supporters of Just Stop Oil climbed gantries on the M25 and disrupted traffic on the M25 at 9 locations.[3]
Today’s action follows four weeks of daily disruption and civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made over 700 arrests, including 16 on Tuesday. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 2,000 times, with 15 supporters currently in prison.[4]
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. [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.
[3] https://juststopoil.org/2022/11/08/just-stop-oil-stops-traffic-on-the-m25-in-multiple-locations-for-the-second-day/
[4] There are now 15 Just Stop Oil supporters in prison on remand or serving sentances for taking action to demand that the government halts new oil and gas licences. They are Alexander Wilcox, Callum Goode, Catherine Rennie-Nash, Christopher White, Daniel Shaw, Ian Bates, Kerin Matthews, Roger Hallam, Tim Hewes, Jan Goodey, Louise Harris, Joshua Smith, Louis McKechnie, Michelle Charlesworth, Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker. There are also 3 Belgian supporters of Just Stop Oil currently in a Dutch prison for gluing to a painting.
[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.
