Just Stop Oil supporters are commencing their seventh straight week of marching through central London. They are demanding that the UK Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. [1]
At 8:00am, around 75 Just Stop Oil supporters, in four groups, began marching in West, East and South London. One team on Gunnersbury Lane in Chiswick was led by eight doctors. Police arrested two Just Stop Oil supporters at Vauxhall, shortly after issuing a Public Order Act (Section 12) notice. All marches were ended by police by 9:20am. Further marches are expected this morning. Just Stop Oil has been marching six days a week since April 24th.
One of those arrested this morning, Aaron Gunning, spoke to camera as he was arrested:
“I’m Aaron. I’m 24 years old, I just graduated physics last year. I’ve been arrested here for peacefully marching in the road for about five minutes, before the police swooped in and started grabbing people, arresting me for demanding some level of action on the climate crisis, and now here I am in handcuffs.”
Another of those taking action this morning, Marcin Wawrzyn, 32, a construction worker from London, said:
“The oil industry knew 50 years ago that their product is destabilising the climate. Governments knew at least 40 years ago. Scientists have been ringing alarm bells for decades. I have heard about it my whole life. To me Just Stop Oil is long overdue, but better late than never.”
“The business model of the fossil fuel industry is incompatible with human survival and international and British law has a term for it, it’s genocide. To knowingly take a course of action that threatens the lives of hundreds of millions of people, constitutes oblique intent to commit genocide.”
Also on the road, Pia Baas, 29, a Community worker from London, said:
“I am using my democratic right to protest, slowly marching down the street. I am fulfilling my moral and civic obligations, that is, to resist a government that is determined to sell away our futures and participate in the murder of millions, for the profits of billionaires and fossil fuel companies. I am terrified of the imminent social and environmental collapses we are hurtling towards; we all need to be actively resisting this criminal government before it’s too late.”
“This government chooses to ignore the science, ignore its people and ignore the solutions available. I choose to say ‘NO’. Not in my name. I will not be complicit with genocide and I will put my body and freedom on the line if it means we have a chance to win this and avoid the worst consequences of climate breakdown.”
The marches today come as the brutal heatwave in Asia rolls into its 13th week. Japan has experienced its hottest spring in history with March, April, and May 1.59C higher than the long-term average, whilst several cities including Toyohashi and Koshigaya near Tokyo reportedly saw the highest 24-hour rainfall on record, resulting in one dead, two missing and thousands urged to evacuate. [2] [3]
Meanwhile in Australia, after experiencing its second driest May on record, is about to be struck with a ‘rain-bomb’, with areas forecast to receive up to 100mm of rain. Meteorologists are warning the country is likely to break its all-time temperature record of 50.7 degrees later in the year. Sky meteorologist Rob Sharpe said: “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s beaten by a few places and we see our first 52 degree day.” [4][5]
This comes as diplomats from around the globe meet in the German city of Bonn this week to discuss technical details about how to cut pollution, protect people from a hotter and more hostile environments, and move money to pay for it. The UN climate chief said: “The world needs to phase out fossil fuels if it wants to curb global warming” though he warned “the idea might not make it on to the agenda of international climate negotiations run in and by an oil haven.” [6] [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
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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://pakobserver.net/japan-records-hottest-spring-in-history-blaming-global-warming/
[6]https://www.dw.com/en/bonn-climate-conference/a-65822759
[7] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/spotlight-ap-vinicius-junior-florida-harry-b2351431.html
[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/
