Just Stop Oil supporters are once again slow marching on the streets of central London, in their ninth week of daily action to demand that the UK Government halts all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects. [1]
At around 8 am, 38 Just Stop Oil supporters, in four groups, began marching on key roads in Hammersmith and Bow. They continued for around an hour, before police issued S12 notices. All the marches ended by 9 am. Further marches are expected later this morning.
One of those on the road this morning, Linda Lancaster, a grandmother of three, from Bognor said:
“I am marching this morning out of concern for my grandchildren. Rishi Sunak thinks that he can licence over 100 new fossil fuel projects, destroying not only my grandchildren’s futures, but his own daughters’ futures as well. The scientists are telling us, there can be no new oil, gas and coal projects if we want to survive. Even the oil company scientists were saying it decades ago!”
“What Just Stop Oil is calling for, is a sensible basic first step in dealing with the breakdown of our climate, improving our energy security and reducing our sky-high energy bills. It will free us from dependence on international energy markets. Get on with the job Rishi! It’s what everyone (apart from oil company CEO’s) wants you to do.”
Another of those taking action this morning, Claire Brook, 56 a therapist from Brighton, said:
“I am taking action today to demand a safe future for all young people. While our government continues to invest in new oil, gas and coal projects, they are choosing profit over life.”
“We have so little time to make the changes needed to avert the full extent of the climate catastrophe. I believe that engaging in civil resistance is the only course of action we have left. It’s time to pick a side and be on the right side of history. Sign up to march at juststopoil.org.”
This morning’s marches come as the government attempts to implement further regressive policies that bear resemblance to 19th century ideas, rather than ideas fit for the 21st century. It was announced that the government plans to remove a ban on opening new coal mines from a bill that is going through Parliament. Green MP Caroline Lucas called the decision “reckless” and Lord Teverson said it was “totally and absolutely obvious” that building a new coal mine “would be a really stupid thing for a country to do”.
Meanwhile, in a transparent attempt to hamper progress away from the dirty energies of the past, the government is planning to ditch measures put in by the House of Lords that would enable small community renewable energy projects to sell electricity directly to local consumers. [2]
Just Stop Oil supporters have completed up to seven marches a day, six days a week since the 24th April. Over 600 ordinary people from all over the UK have taken part. To date there have been over 100 arrests and 40 people have been charged with failure to comply with Public Order Act (section 12) conditions.
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. Just Stop Oil supporters Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker are 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. Thousands are dying every year from unnatural temperatures and extreme weather events, and this will soon rise to millions. 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.
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65950291
[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/
