Just Stop Oil supporters are approaching the end of week six of marching through central London. They are demanding that the British Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. Meanwhile, Hollywood director of ‘Don’t Look Up’, Adam McKay, has pledged to triple any donations made to Just Stop Oil in the next 48 hours. [1]
At 8:00am, around 40 Just Stop Oil supporters, in four groups, began marching on Marylebone Road, Finchley Road and Harrow Road, near Kensal Green. Police arrived at Harrow Road within 20 minutes and placed a Public Order Act (Section 12) notice on the march. All supporters were off the road by 9:45am. Further marches are expected this morning. Just Stop Oil has been marching six days a week since April 24th.
Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer Adam McKay is offering to TRIPLE the money anyone donates to Just Stop Oil from 10am this morning for the next 48 hours. This follows the overwhelming support for Just Stop Oil after Ecotricity founder Dale Vince pledged on Wednesday to double any donations for a 48 hour period. This raised £173,000 in public donations through a crowdfunder and website. [2]
If you would like to donate and have your donations tripled please donate here. [3]
Adam Mckay said:
“The scientific reality is we will hit 1.5C global warming in the next 18-24 months which should greatly alarm each and every person on this planet. I stand with those taking action to defend the climate to wake up the world’s sleeping governments to the terrifying scale of the catastrophe we are now living through.”
The offer comes in response to vitriolic attacks from right wing tabloids, over Dale Vince’s donations to Just Stop Oil and the Labour party. No equivalent investigation has been made into the £3.5 million pounds from fossil fuel interests donated to the Conservatives during 2022. [4]
One of those taking action this morning, Jordan Higton, 19, a Psychology student from Devon, said:
“I’m 19 years old and I’m terrified of my future. Every time I make long term plans I find myself thinking that they may never happen because the world is going to shit. I’ve been terrified about what’s happening with the climate all my life, but I used to think that if I just used the right bins or shopped at charity shops it’d be fine. After years, and everything only getting worse, that is clearly not true. Collective action to change the system is all we can do.”
Another of those taking action this morning Arthur Clifton, 22, a student from Exeter, said:
“I do not want to be here. I do not want to have people calling for me to be run over. I do not want to be threatened by cars and lorries. But I do want a liveable future for all people, so I have to be here.”
“The World Health Organisation, the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change and every scientist in the field are telling us in crystal clear terms, that our communities are facing obliteration. I cannot ignore it. I am scared and sorry to be on the roads. But I will be more scared and more sorry if I stand by, and watch, as our current government actively participates in genocide by refusing to halt all new oil, gas and coal.”
Today’s marches come as a new study has found that the earth is already past safe limits for humans, with seven of eight planetary boundaries already pushed into risk zones. The study identified eight thresholds that define the environmental conditions needed not only for the planet to remain stable, but to enable societies, economies and ecosystems across the globe to thrive. They include climate, biodiversity, water, natural ecosystems, land use and the effect of fertilisers and aerosols. Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and co-author of the report, said it was “very worrying” that most of the boundaries had already been breached. [5][6]
Meanwhile, yesterday, firefighters say they have brought under control a wildfire that could be the largest ever recorded in the UK. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said flames had burned through a 30 sq mile (80 sq km) area of scrub and woodland near Cannich in the Highlands. [7]
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. [8][9]
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
Press contact: 07762 987334
Press email: [email protected]
High quality images & video here:https://juststopoil.org/press-media
Website: https://juststopoil.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustStopOil/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just.stopoil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustStop_Oil
Youtube: https://juststopoil.org/youtube
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] US donors can receive a tax deduction by donating here
[3] Crowdfunder here- https://chuffed.org/project/juststopoil
[4]
Conservatives Received £3.5 Million from Polluters, Fossil Fuel Interests and Climate Deniers in 2022
[5] https://www.ft.com/content/b59f9fea-500c-43c0-9b70-f0f7e866fd0e
[6]
[7]https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65765053.amp
[8] 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/
[9] 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/
