Four Just Stop Oil supporters have embarked on a ‘mini-march’ in central London this morning, whilst 18 others are continuing to slow-march, demanding an end to all new oil, gas and coal projects in the UK. [1]
At around 8am, four Just Stop Oil supporters began marching on Cannon Street, near St. Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London. Police were onsite within ten minutes and are expected to issue a Public Order act (Section 12) notice shortly. Meanwhile 18 supporters commenced marching down Minories near Tower Hill. Police arrived after half an hour and issued a Section 12 notice, forcing them off the road. Just Stop Oil supporters have been marching every day since the 24th of April.
One of those taking action as part of a mini-march this morning, Adrian Johnson, 57, a former deputy headteacher, from Forneth, said:
“Having taught high school science for thirty years, I trust the scientists. And they say there can be no new oil, gas or coal; yet our government is doing the opposite. My wife Carol and I have engaged in civil disobedience, as we have seen nothing else is working fast enough. We do this for our children, our grandchildren and everything we love and care about. If we break the law, we do that in support of law and order, civil society and everything we value, because all these are at risk as the climate deteriorates.”
Another of those taking action this morning, Cam Ingram, 27, a Gardener from Leith, said:
“As a gardener I can see first-hand the effect extreme weather is having. Anyone who works on the land will tell you that the climate is spinning out of control. The conditions are making it difficult for crops to survive. If it’s this bad now, what will 2050 look like? The criminals in this government are breaking the social contract, putting all our lives in danger, simply so they can enrich themselves. History shows us change only happens through disruptive acts like marching. Join us on a march tomorrow at 12pm in Parliament Square.”
The marches continue against a backdrop of increasingly extreme weather events. Reports this morning indicate 13 people have now been killed as a result of flooding in Italy. 13,000 have been evacuated from their homes as six months of rainfall fell in a day and a half. Twenty rivers have burst their banks and there have been 280 landslides. Italy has experienced storms, avalanches, floods and drought over the past year, killing dozens of people, as once exceptional disasters become a regular part of life. [2][3][4]
Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on 14th February 2022, there have been over 2,100 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, many without trial. There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters serving three year prison sentences for resisting new oil, gas and coal.
We stand with these political prisoners, with the 1,800 victims of the UK’s 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. Normal people must come together to resist this criminal government and hold them to account for their genocidal policies. [5][6]
Just Stop Oil is calling on everyone to get off the sidelines and join in civil resistance against new oil, gas and coal.
The time is now. Join us and slow march while you still can. Our indefinite campaign of civil resistance is underway and will not end until our government makes a meaningful statement halting new fossil fuel projects in the UK.
Join Just Stop Oil on a slow march at midday every Saturday, at Parliament Square until we win.
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.
Just Stop Oil ‘Blue Lights’ policy: our policy is, and has always been, to move out of the way for emergency vehicles with siren sounding and ‘blue lights’ on.
[2]https://ednews.net/en/news/world/595005-italy-floods-leave-dead-and
[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65632655
[4] https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0518/1384372-climate-italy-weather/
[5] 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. https://www.fairtrials.org/articles/news/highest-number-of-people-on-remand-in-england-and-wales-for-over-50-years/
[6] 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. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/deadly-decade-land-and-environmental-activists-killing-every-two-days/
