Just Stop Oil supporters are once again marching in central London today. Teams have been marching six days a week since the 24th of April to demand an end to all new oil, gas and coal projects in the UK. [1]
At 8am, 28 supporters in three groups started marching slowly on three roads in the west end – Haymarket, Knightsbridge and Regent Street. Two of the marches were “mini marches” composed of three or four people, carrying placards reading “Life over oil” and “We won’t die quietly”.
Police issued Public Order Act (Section 12) notices on all three marches, which ended by 08:45 am. No arrests were made. Further marches are expected later this morning.
Yesterday six people were arrested with no warning on Marylebone Road after police failed to communicate that a Section 12 order had been imposed. They have now been released with no further action.
One of those taking action this morning, Kat Duchting, 32, a Specialist Nurse from Cumbria said:
“I’m taking to our streets on behalf of the children I look after in my role as an NHS professional and for children in the global south who don’t have a voice and are suffering because of the effects of climate breakdown. At this stage it’s the only sensible, moral and reasonable thing to do.”
“Now is the time for action. I can no longer stand by and watch as our government wilfully ignores science and continues to invest in new fossil fuel projects. This is moral and economic madness. People all over the world are dying because of air pollution created by the burning of oil, gas and coal. What kind of civilised, caring and altruistic society would allow this to happen?”
Another of those taking action this morning James Kelly, 46, a father of two from Northwich, said:
“I’m taking action for my children, who are 13 and 15. They are just starting out in life and as a father I fear what future they will have as our food systems continue to collapse due to extreme weather events. We have already seen food shortages in supermarkets in recent weeks.”
“People are dying right now due to the climate crisis. The situation will only get much worse if we do not act now and demand that this criminal government stop licensing new fossil fuel projects. This government is engaged in an act of mass murder. They care more about profit than protecting our lives.”
Today’s marches occur as news of further crop failures, as a result of extreme weather conditions, continue to emerge from around the world. Farmers in Kansas, the biggest U.S. producer of wheat used to make bread, are abandoning their crops after severe drought and cold ravaged farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned that nationally, winter-wheat farmers plan to abandon 33% of the acres they planted, the highest percentage since World War I. Some areas are experiencing losses of 60% of their crops. [2]
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. [3][4]
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.
[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. https://www.fairtrials.org/articles/news/highest-number-of-people-on-remand-in-england-and-wales-for-over-50-years/
[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. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/deadly-decade-land-and-environmental-activists-killing-every-two-days/
