Just Stop Oil supporters are into their sixth week of marching every day in central London. The supporters are demanding that the British Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. [1]
At 4:15pm, 68 Just Stop Oil supporters in four groups began marching on Waterloo, Blackfriars, London Bridge and Tower Bridges slowing traffic to a crawl. Police arrived and Section 12 notices were issued on all marches by 17:25. No arrests have been made.
Just Stop Oil has been marching every day since April 24th.
One of those taking action this afternoon, Adam Beard, 54, a gardner from Stroud, said:
“I’ve been supporting Just Stop Oil as the government is not following the clear advice of the climate scientists, the UN or the International Energy Agency, who all agree that to have any hope of avoiding the worst effects of the climate crisis we need to stop developing new oil and gas extraction projects. Their insistence on extracting every last drop of oil and puff of gas is putting countless lives at risk around the world and threatening everything we hold dear here in the UK.”
“We’re already feeling the impacts here in Europe, with record temperatures, droughts and floods – what will it take for our government to take its responsibility of protecting us citizens from harm? Causing disruption is painful, but I am doing this to do what I can to protect the future of my children, all young people living today and future generations that will face a hellish world unless we make change now.”
Another of those taking action this afternoon Emma de Saram, 22, who is president of her student union, from Exeter, said:
“It is no longer a matter of ‘if’ Just Stop Oil will win, but ‘when’. There is a broad political consensus emerging. Every major UK political party apart from the tories agrees we must have no new oil, gas or coal licences. The Scottish and Welsh parliament agree.”
“This is an acknowledgment of the fact that the broad majority of the British population agrees with Just Stop Oil’s demand. Many might take issue with disruptive tactics, but the fact is, the social science is as conclusive as the climate science. As uncomfortable as it may be, disruption is how change happens. We need only look at history to see this in action time after time.”
Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on 14th February 2022, there have been 2,200 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. [2][3]
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] 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/
[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. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/deadly-decade-land-and-environmental-activists-killing-every-two-days/
