Just Stop Oil supporters are joined on the streets of central London this morning with Ecotricity Founder Dale Vince and acclaimed journalist George Monbiot. They are joining the countless others demanding that the UK Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. [1]
Shortly after 8am, 15 supporters in three ‘mini-marches’ began marching in the West End, Hammersmith and Fulham. A number of altercations occurred with members of the public and Louis Grieves, who was briefly detained by police on the 23rd May, after assaulting peaceful demonstrators, was once again seen forcibly removing Just Stop Oil supporters from the road. A Public Order Act (Section 12) notice was placed on all three marches and they were forced off the road by 8:50am.
At 11:30am, 47 Just Stop Oil supporters marched from Parliament Square, joined by Ecotricity founder and Forest Green Rovers FC Chairman, Dale Vince, as well as acclaimed journalist and author of Regenesis- George Monbiot.
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
“We’re delighted to welcome George and Dale onto the road with us this morning. They have recognised, along with countless others, that allowing new oil, gas and coal projects in 2023 is complete madness. We all know that we have the solutions available to us, but our illegitimate government is not pursuing them because they have been bought by fossil fuel interests.”
“Every significant moment of social change has been achieved through disruptive civil resistance. It’s not comfortable for anyone, but this is how change happens. At this point it is not a case of if we will win, but when. It’s time we were all on the streets. Join a slow march every Saturday at midday in Parliament Square.”
Dale has joined in response to the continued mud-slinging from portions of the billionaire owned press, over his donations to both Just Stop Oil and the Labour party. This morning’s marches come in the wake of a successful crowdfunder, which raised close to a million pounds for Just Stop Oil; with significant contributions from Dale Vince and Academy Award nominated director of ‘Don’t Look Up’- Adam McKay.
Dale Vince said:
“New oil and gas is a mad thing to even consider, whilst we’re in the teeth of the climate crisis, that we know is happening and is only going to get worse. We signed up to the Paris Accord to keep warming to 1.5C and we know we can’t have new fossil fuel projects and keep to those commitments. None of this makes sense to me.”
“We have an illegitimate prime minister making these crazy decisions that will affect future generations of Britains to come. There’s nothing right about what is going on at all. The right-wing media are trying to claim that the money I’ve given to Labour has influenced their policies when in fact it is science that has influenced their policy. We know we can’t have new oil and gas. It’s a globally known scientific established fact and common opinion. What Rishi and the tories are doing is completely counterfactual. If you’re thinking about joining a slow march, don’t think about it, do it.”
George Monbiot said:
“This is one of the greatest crises on earth. Our burning of fossil fuels is going to bring earth’s systems to an end. We have to leave oil, gas and coal in the ground. Our governments are not committed to doing that, and we’ll keep protesting until they are. If we don’t leave fossil fuels in the ground. We are properly cooked. So we are marching not just for ourselves, but for everyone on earth as well as the future generations of children and grandchildren that we haven’t yet met. We owe it to them, as much as we owe it to everyone who’s alive today, to protect this wonderful place we call home.”
The actions today come as large swathes of the world continue to experience record-breaking temperatures. Puerto Rico is experiencing a heatwave that has “astonished” meteorologists, with temperatures hitting 51.6C, as the combined effects of a ‘heat-dome’ and a shift to an El Nino weather pattern is frazzling the island. [2]
Meanwhile in the UK, the first heat health alert of the year has been issued for the coming weekend in, where temperatures could reach a peak of 30C. [3]
In the U.S more than 55 million people across the Northeast, Midwest and mid-Atlantic in the US are under air quality alerts as wildfire smoke originating from Canada shrouds major US cities. There are more than 400 wildfires burning across all provinces in Canada. [4][5]
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. [6][7]
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] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/07/heat-health-alert-issued-for-england-this-weekend
[4] https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/us-air-quality-canadian-wildfires-06-07-23
[6] 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/
[7] 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/
