Buckets of support for Just Stop Oil

Just Stop Oil supporters are back 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, 24 Just Stop Oil supporters, in four groups, began marching on key roads in Camden, Battersea, Wandsworth and Borough. At 8:10 a frustrated resident threw a bucket of water over a ‘mini-march’ of six people on Rochester Road in Camden. A section 12 notice was placed on Tower Bridge at 8:13 until midnight tonight, forcing the marchers off the road. All marches were issued section 12 notices and were off the road by 8:50. Further marches are expected later this morning.

Yesterday, three people were arrested for marching in the road to demand action on the most critical issue facing us as a species, bringing the total arrested for marching since April 24th to 129. 

One of those on the road this morning, Ru Kenyon, 44, a teacher from London, said:

“I’m 45 years old and the climate crisis has defined the whole of my adult life. My heart breaks for how it must feel for young people today to understand what’s happening. We could turn this situation around, if we come together as a global community and treat it like the emergency that it is.” 

“I hate causing disruption, but my conscience says I have to put myself in harm’s way by marching in the street, in the same way those demanding change have done for hundreds of years. If I could speak to the Prime Minister I’d tell him he needs to get out of the way quite frankly, along with the entire corrupt establishment, and let the young get on with dealing with this crisis. But he may as well make amends first by announcing the end of all new fossil fuel licences in this country”

Another of those taking action this morning, Paul Bleach, a gardener and fulltime carer from Portsmouth, said:

“We are marching in the road because sadly all other forms of dissent are ignored. For example, I attended the Extinction Rebellion ‘Big One’ event over Easter this year. Over 60,000 people outside parliament received almost no media coverage, and most certainly no response from our government. As Chris Packham said “what options are we left with?”

“Citizens are being denied sufficient information and support by our corrupt government and the media. This is the mother of all humanitarian problems, there is no, and will never be, a bigger crisis. Where the heck is the sense of urgency from global governments?”

This morning’s actions come as a YouGov poll commissioned by the Sun newspaper has shown huge cross party support for measures to achieve net zero carbon emissions. This is despite a major attempt by right-wing newspapers over recent months to promote a backlash against any attempts by ordinary people to tackle the climate crisis. 

The poll showed that 65% of the public support measures to achieve net zero carbon emissions, with just 19% opposing it. There was cross-party support for net zero, with 54% of Tory voters supporting it, whilst 31% opposed it. Despite the mounting evidence that an overwhelming majority of the public now support efforts to achieve net zero, these startling facts were conveniently missed from the headlines – in keeping with the paper’s divisive agenda. [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. Including arrests at the Coronation and cultural and sporting events there have been over 160 arrests this year and 50 people have been charged with various offences including 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. [3]

On Saturday 24th of June, members of the public are marching en masse in Westminster to demand that Just Stop Oil supporter Marcus Decker is not deported to Germany, as has recently been threatened by the Home Office. He and Morgan Trowland were recently handed the severest sentences in British legal history for peaceful climate action after they scaled the Dartford Bridge in October 2022. The mass protest will begin at Parliament Square at 12:00, with Marcus’ case having become a national ‘cause célèbre’.

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://leftfootforward.org/2023/06/the-sun-downplays-key-data-which-shows-huge-public-support-for-net-zero/

[3] https://juststopoil.org/2023/05/31/german-just-stop-oil-protester-who-scaled-dartford-crossing-faces-deportation-for-his-act-of-compassion/