Three Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted an opera at the Glyndebourne Festival. They are demanding that the UK Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. [1]
At around 5:20pm, Just Stop Oil supporters blasted air-horns and set off glitter canons during ‘Dialogues des Carmélites’, which is being performed at the world-renowned festival. They then displayed a Just Stop Oil banner as they attempted to address the audience, before being forcibly removed from the venue. One supporter was assaulted by an audience member.
One of those taking action this afternoon, Sean Irving, 24, a PhD Student, from Norwich, said:
“I am here because I am scared for my generations’ future. I am angry that our illegitimate government, corrupted by oil money, is actively and knowingly pursuing a course of action that threatens all of our lives and the lives of our children.”
“By signing off on the development of over a hundred new fossil fuel projects, the government signs the death warrants of hundreds of millions; who face crop-failure, displacement, war and famine.”
“The pursuit of new fossil fuel projects in 2023, is moral and economic madness. Our culture cannot survive sustained crop failure.”
Another of those taking action, Pia Baas, 29, a community worker from London, said:
“This government is sacrificing everything we know and love, to enrich themselves. But you cannot eat money! We are on a course for mass hunger and societal collapse if we do not act urgently.”
“Our cultural institutions have failed to admit this truth and failed to address the urgency of action. It is immoral for cultural institutions to stand by and watch whilst our society faces inevitable collapse.”
“We call on art and cultural institutions, like Glynbourne, to make a statement demanding that the government end new oil, gas and coal. Those working in cultural institutions must join in civil resistance against this criminal and illegitimate regime.”
Today’s action comes as John Gummer, the outgoing Conservative peer, who chairs the U.K.’s Climate Change Committee, has told Politico that the government is “failing fundamentally” to adequately cut emissions. He said that the current stance in favour of expanding production of fossil fuels, meant that the U.K. had “perfectly properly been called hypocrites.” He stated that new oil, gas and coal licences were “not only unnecessary, but set a bad example to the world.” Adding that, “we can’t ask other people to restrain their production, if we don’t do it ourselves, there are no two ways about it!” [2]
Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on 14th February 2022, there have been over 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. [3][4]
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] 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/
[4] 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/
