Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested at Heathrow. Just Stop Oil is demanding that the UK government works with other countries to establish a fossil fuel treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030. [1]
At around 9am, seven Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested at two locations on the perimeter road outside Heathrow. At around 10:50am, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a further two had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to disrupt Heathrow. This comes after German supporters of Last Generation blocked air traffic at Cologne Bonn Airport, causing international delays. Meanwhile, supporters of Folk Mot Fossilmakta (People against Fossil Power) cut through a chain-link fence and sat next to a runway stopping flights departing from Oslo Gardermoen airport. [2][3]
Also this morning, supporters of Extinction Rebellion in Finland have blocked security gates at Helsinki Vantaa Airport. Meanwhile in Spain, five supporters of Futuro Vegetal accessed the taxiway at Barcelona airport, however were intercepted before taking action. In Switzerland, eleven supporters of Drop Fossil Subsidies blocked main roads around both Zurich and Geneva airports. [4][5][6]
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
“We refuse to die for fossil fuels. Continued burning of oil, gas and coal, as we pass irreversible tipping points that threaten to spin our climate out of control in a rapidly accelerating way, is jeopardising the stability on which our entire society depends. This is not only irresponsible, it is an act of war against low lying island states and countries in the global south, who are already suffering devastating consequences as a result of our addiction to fossil fuels. Our political leaders must take action to protect our communities by working with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.” [7]
One of those arrested this morning is Sally Davidson, 36, a hairdresser from Portland, who said:
“Mass migration and global food shortages are becoming commonplace as large areas of inhabited land are becoming too hot to support human life. It is our young people in the UK and those around the world who have done little to contribute to this crisis who will bear the brunt of what is to come.”
“Our new government must take swift and meaningful action to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030, by establishing a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels. Anything less is a death sentence.”
Also arrested today is Adam Beard, 55, a gardener from Stroud, who said:
“We need immediate and decisive action to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis becoming reality, with all the death and suffering that will bring. Our government must work with other nations to enact a treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
“Scientists are telling us we are on course for large parts of the world becoming uninhabitable, causing mass death, hundreds of millions of refugees and crop failures in areas that produce the vast majority of the world’s food. Those in power must take seriously their responsibility to protect our population from harm.”
As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportional action necessary to generate much needed political pressure. This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world. Are you in? Sign up to take action at juststopoil.org.
ENDS
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Notes to editors:
[1] Just Stop Oil is a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects.
Critical seed funding for Just Stop Oil was provided by Climate Emergency Fund and Adam McKay in 2022 and 2023. Just Stop Oil is now largely backed by small donations from the public, although the Climate Emergency Fund continues to contribute.
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.
We take all possible steps to ensure that no-one’s safety is compromised by our actions.
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd17j7e528jo
[3] https://x.com/_oilkills/status/1815993446059946037
[4] https://x.com/_oilkills/status/1815971508457537581
[5] https://x.com/_oilkills/status/1816011965833040132
[7] Our Demand: An end to oil, gas and coal by 2030.
Our governments must work together to establish a legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 as well as supporting and financing poorer countries to make a fast, fair, and just transition.
This can be accomplished by endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and seeking a negotiating mandate to establish the treaty.
