Ten Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested in Parliament Square today after refusing to leave the road in line with Police orders. They were slow marching with around 56 others to demand an end to new oil and gas. Meanwhile, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince has pledged to double any donations made to Just Stop Oil in the next 48 hours.
After causing chaos on the A4 and surrounding roads in West London this morning, 66 Just Stop Oil supporters gathered in Parliament Square from 10:45am to march in the road. Police issued a Public Order Act (S.12) notice by 11:20am and began to clear the road. Ten supporters resisted and were subsequently arrested. They included supporters from Christian Climate Action and a wheelchair user.
One of those arrested today, Ari Rox, is a grandmother and retired cook & knotter from Exeter, who once made a beard for Mick Jagger. Ari has post-polio syndrome and has been wheelchair dependent for 15 years, she said:
“I’ve come to London to join the Just Stop Oil march for my children and grandchildren. They are the ones who are going to have to face the mess that is being imposed on us in Britain, by our illegitimate government. We’re not asking that all oil is immediately stopped. We are simply asking the government to stop issuing new licences for oil, gas and coal. We have enough to make the transition to renewables, which are nine times cheaper. We have the technology to make this happen, it is the lack of political will that is the problem.”
Meanwhile, Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, has pledged to match-fund any donations made to Just Stop Oil in the next 48 hours.
He said:
“I was on the front page of Monday’s Daily Mail and on Radio Four this morning for supporting Just Stop Oil, like that’s a crime or something. Along with thousands of others, I am proud to donate vital funds to the cause. Right-wing tabloids can say what they like, I won’t be intimidated. Nothing is more important than stopping new oil and gas in 2023.”
“I’m inviting you to join me in supporting the brave people who are currently slow marching, causing disruption and risking their freedom to save us from the climate crisis. If you give a donation in the next 48 hours I will match it, pound for pound. There is no better time to make a financial contribution.”
If you would like to donate to Just Stop Oil and have your contribution doubled by Dale Vince, please donate here: https://chuffed.org/project/juststopoil
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. Ordinary 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/
