Just Stop Oil supporters are on the road in their fifth week marching to the point of arrest . They are demanding that the UK government immediately halt all future licences and consents for fossil fuel exploration in the UK. [1]
At around 12:35 pm today, a group of four Just Stop Oil supporters began marching on the pavement from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square. At around 12:50 the four entered the road near Downing Street. Three were arrested under Section 7 of the public order act by 1pm.
The mini-march today comes as a group of generous donors, including Chris Packham, is offering to double donations made to Just Stop Oil in the next 72 hours. Between 10am on the 30th November until 3rd December, all contributions made by members of the public will be matched pound for pound by the group.
Chris Packham said:
“Alarm bells are ringing! Good! – the world’s leaders are sleep-walking to oblivion, it’s time they woke up to their responsibilities and found the sense and courage to actually lead us towards environmental stability and recovery.”
Just Stop Oil is primarily funded by small donations from members of the public. If you would like to donate to Just Stop Oil and have your contribution doubled, please donate here. [2]
One of those marching today is Chloe Naldrett, a 44 year old mum from Bristol. She said:
“As world leaders and oil giants gather in the UAE for a COP conference which has failed before it has even begun, I am marching today out of love for my two boys, my nieces and my nephew. And I’m marching in solidarity with the six young people – only a few years older than my sons – who are currently being held in prison. Our children deserve better.”
“Everything that we are too selfish and cowardly to do now, they will have to do when their generation comes to power, by which time they will be presiding over a world scarred by our inaction. My conscience will not allow me to sit this one out. But it is not me who is engaging in criminal activity: the real criminals are at the conference table at COP, selling out the lives of our children for their profit. Not in my name.”
Another of those marching today Rowan Tilly, 66, a human ecologist from Bristol, said:
“We are small in number yet we march slowly onward to obstruct business as usual. We trust that our lack in numbers will be made up for by the depth of our commitment and the fullness of our intention. Caring is radical beauty. Will you dare to let yourself be invited?”
Just Stop Oil has issued an open call to the public and to all concerned parties to march together in defiance of this criminal government. This has been inspired by demonstrations in the Netherlands, where repeated road disruptions and continued pressure on the police, has forced the Dutch parliament to vote to end fossil fuel subsidies. [3]
There have been 660 arrests of Just Stop Oil supporters since October 30th. There are currently nine Just Stop Oil supporters in prison, seven of whom have been imprisoned, without trial, for peacefully marching in the road. They are Cressie Gethin (21), Noah Crane (18), Ella Ward (20), Ruby Hamill (19), Chiara Sarti (24), Phoebe Plummer (22) and Christopher Ford (46). They join Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker, who have been imprisoned for over a year and were sentenced to 3 years and 2 years 7 months respectively, in the longest sentences ever awarded for peaceful direct action. [3][4][5][6]
Phoebe Plummer, Ella Ward and Ruby Hamill appeared at Southwark Crown Court today before his honour Judge Griffith for a plea and case management hearings. They were joined by a number of other Just Stop Oil supporters who have been arrested for marching.
HMP Pentonville have so far refused Chiara Sarti to contact her lawyer. Hodge Jones and Allen solicitors have been attempting to contact Chiara at HMP Bronzefield, assuming she has been sent to a women’s prison, however as Chiara is trans she has been sent to a male prison. As Chiara has been unable to seek legal representation she has not been able to receive legal support for appearing in court today. She remains imprisoned at Pentonville.
Continued expansion of new oil and gas will bring about the wholesale destruction of ordered society and an end to the rule of law. We are not prepared to watch while the government continues to serve the interests of a few, at the expense of everyone else. It’s up to all of us to come together and resist. It is the will of the overwhelming majority of people that we take the actions necessary to ensure our survival and together we can make it happen.
People are marching every day from Trafalgar Square at 12pm, to bring an end to new oil and gas. Our government is waging war on its people, and we’re fighting back. They’re imprisoning peaceful protestors, protecting the real criminals, and licensing more than 100 new oil and gas projects while everything burns. We’re coming together to demand an end to new oil and gas. It’s not a case of ‘if’ we will win; but ‘when’.
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.
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://chuffed.org/project/104845-donations-doubled-until-sunday-just-stop-oil
[3] https://juststopoil.org/2023/11/16/we-wont-let-them-get-away-with-mass-murder-for-the-sake-of-greed/
[5] https://juststopoil.org/2023/11/20/a-week-in-resistance-with-cressie/
