Two Just Stop Oil supporters have been found guilty of public nuisance, after occupying the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford in London. The Just Stop Oil supporters were demanding that the government halt licensing and consents for the development of any new fossil-fuel projects in the UK. [1]
Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker scaled the QE2 bridge on October 17th 2022 and remained at height for 37 hours, disrupting oil supplies to Kent and the South East. Both men have been held on remand since the incident, and they each appeared before Judge Collery at Basildon Crown Court. Sentencing will be on the 13th April 2023. [2]
Morgan Trowland, 40, a bridge design engineer from London, said:
“As a professional civil engineer, each year as I renew my registration, I commit to acting within our code of ethics, which requires me to safeguard human life and welfare and the environment.”
“Our government has enacted suicidal laws to accelerate oil production: killing human life and destroying our environment. I can’t challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I took direct action, occupying the QE2 bridge demanding the government stops all new oil.”
Marcus Decker, 33, a teacher from London, said:
“Too many people in this country simply don’t know the scale and intensity of climate breakdown as the scientists describe it. The authorities are criminally failing to get this grim science communicated. During Covid, the science was conveyed on a daily basis. Why isn’t the most existential threat that humanity has ever faced on the news every day?”
“Our political system is betraying the people of this country. More fossil fuel licenses means global genocide. Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.”
Since the Just Stop Oil campaign began on April 1st 2022, there have been over 2,000 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, many without trial. There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters in prison awaiting trial or serving sentences for actions taken with the campaign.
We stand with these political prisoners, with the 1,800 victims of our broken criminal justice system imprisoned for over a year without trial and with the 1,700 murdered across the global south, for protecting all our lives. This is the moment for us to come together and resist the destruction of everything we love, something that is being imposed on us by a few, who only seek to enrich themselves. [3] [4]
In moments of emergency, we must be brave, we must stand for good over evil, life over death, right over wrong. We cannot stand by and watch while our rights and freedoms and everything we love is being destroyed. It’s time to pick a side. Either you are actively supporting civil resistance, fighting for life, or you are complicit with genocide.
Join us in civil resistance on a slow march around the streets of London from April 24th. [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] Press release from 17th October 2022: 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] Fair Trials reports that the number of people being held in prison without trial in England and Wales is at its highest for over 50 years, with 1,800 people in prison without trial for at least a year.
[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.
[5] Sign up to join Just Stop Oil supporters on a slow march this Spring: https://juststopoil.org/
