Just Stop Oil is calling a pause on further actions whilst civil unrest is continuing to affect many towns and cities around the country. In recent weeks, Just Stop Oil has been acting with groups internationally, to demand governments establish a Fossil Fuel Treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030. [1]
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson issued the following statement:
“Like the entire country, our community has been deeply disturbed by the events of recent days. Disturbed, but not surprised. The civil unrest the country is experiencing is a taste of what science is telling us will happen, as climate chaos accelerates and makes the preservation of a stable society untenable.
We recognise that the violence on our streets is endangering communities, particularly those of Muslims and people of colour. In accordance with our commitment to nonviolence, we will not stretch police resources, such that they are unable to protect communities most at risk. Therefore, we are pausing our nonviolent resistance until the immediate threats to safety have been dealt with appropriately.
Our primary focus as a community is to resist facism, and so supporters of Just Stop Oil will be joining peaceful counter-demonstrations and will be taking part in local clean-up operations in the days ahead.
We recognise that without the elimination of the underlying causes of this unrest, the violent disruption we are seeing on the streets is likely to continue. This is the inevitable consequence of a broken political system, economic austerity, and the withdrawal of the social safety net. Anger has been misdirected by agitators amongst the political class, the billionaire-owned press, and by other elites; who have been scapegoating the people who have done the least to create this situation. There are those in the ruling class who would sooner foment the rise of fascism in order to preserve their own wealth, than see a fairer society that works better for everyone.
Delivering a Fossil Fuel Treaty that ends oil and gas by 2030 is an essential step for our Government to prevent massive disorder in the future. This will be needed all the more as the full ramifications of crop failure, food shortages and economic collapse become clearer. Thus we cannot afford to pause for more than is immediately necessary.
Just Stop Oil supporters take no pleasure in causing disruption, far from it, we find it deeply uncomfortable. However, we have to face reality, if we want to protect our loved ones, the wider public and generations to come. Every one of us must take stock of what is most important, and reorient ourselves towards the preservation of life, through nonviolent resistance against the systems that are causing harm.
We would encourage those in Government, as well as those in the media, judiciary and the wider public to join us in considering how we address the challenges of our time, at this critical juncture in human history.
We ask our international allies for their understanding of these desperate circumstances in Britain currently and our need to take a pause.”
The Oil Kills international uprising will be continuing at airports around the world. 22 groups across 13 countries have taken action at 22 airports so far. [2]
26 people are currently in prison in the UK for demanding the government take necessary actions to protect our families and communities from the worst impacts of climate breakdown. A further two supporters of Palestine Action are also currently in prison for demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza. [3]
To protect citizens both in the UK and abroad, the Government must establish an international, legally-binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030. They must also support and finance other 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.
ENDS
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Notes to editors:
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.
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.
We suggest that the Government, media, legal system and the wider public join us in considering these hard questions: What are our priorities? What really meets the challenges we all face? How can we best do our duty to ourselves and our loved ones and to the generations to come?
[2] Groups taking action with Oil Kills include: Letzte Generation Germany, Folk Mot Fossilmakta and Scientist Rebellion in Norway, XR Finland, Futuro Vegetal in Spain, Just Stop Oil in the UK, Drop Fossil Subsidies and Act Now – Liberate in Switzerland, Letzte Generation Austria, Extinction Rebellion and Scientists Rebellion in Sweden, Doe Deurne Dicht in Belgium, Last Generation Canada, XR Boston, Last Generation America, Just Stop Oil Scotland and Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island from the USA.
[3] 25 Just Stop Oil supporters and 1 supporter of Extinction Rebellion are currently in prison serving sentences or on remand. They are: Noah Crane (19), Margaret Reid (53), Daniel Knorr (22), Ella Ward (21) and Indigo Rumbelow (30) Paul Bell (24), Theresa Higginson (26), Gaie Delap (77), Paul Sousek (73) George Simonson (24), Phoebe Plummer (22), Jane Touil (58), Sean O’Callaghan (29), Rory Wilson (26), Adam Beard (55), Sally Davidson (36), Luke Elson (31), Luke Watson (34), Hannah Schafer (60), Rosa Hicks (28), Roger Hallam (57), Daniel Shaw (38) Lucia Whittaker De Abreu (34), Louise Lancaster (58), Cressida Gethin (22) and Amy Pritchard (39).
