Two Just Stop Oil supporters who glued onto the frame of a Turner masterpiece as part of a wave of actions targeting art galleries in 2022, were acquitted today. They took action demanding that the UK government halts all licensing and consents for new fossil fuel exploration and extraction – a demand that is now government policy [1]
Paul Bell, 24, who is studying for a Phd in Climate Impacts and Edred Whittingham, 27, an energy advisor appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ court charged with criminal damage of less than £5,000 for the action taken in July 2022. They had glued themselves to the frame Tomson’s Aeolian Harp (1809) by J.M.W. Turner at the Manchester Art Gallery, and sprayed “No New Oil” and the Just Stop Oil logo on the floor with chalk.[2]
The District Judge found that the action was proportionate in view of the climate crisis. By contrast Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland received sentences of 24 months and 20 months respectively from Judge Hehir at Southwark Crown Court last week for throwing cans of soup on the glass cover of Van Gogh’s sunflowers in 2022. [3]
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
“This acquittal represents a chink of light in an otherwise very dark picture of state repression and judicial malice. We are grateful for the few within the legal system who understand that Just Stop Oil supporters are acting in self-defence and seeking to defend life on earth, while the law is protecting those who are committed to its destruction.”
Speaking after the acquittal, Paul Bell said:
“In the courtroom today I told the judge that my actions were not out of a hatred of art, but out of a love for art. The artists of tomorrow and many around the world right now are having their chance to create stolen by the climate crisis. We have a right to art and a right to life. The expansion of fossil fuels directly opposes this. I am very pleased that in Manchester Magistrates Court the Judge found our actions to be proportionate.”
Edred Whittingham said:
“Paul and I are rightly at liberty, but last week Phoebe and Anna were sentenced to 2 years and 20 months respectively for a very similar action. Their sentence demonstrated that our justice system is broken, the law is failing us and the judiciary and courts are complicit in genocide.”
There are 14 Just Stop Oil supporters currently serving prison sentences of up to 5 years for joining the resistance against the real criminals in government and the fossil fuel industry. In addition there are 10 Just Stop Oil Supporters still being held in prison without trial after being pre-emptively arrested as part of Just Stop Oil’s summer of resistance at airports. [4]
We stand with our 24 supporters in prison, with the 1,800 victims of our 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. [5]
Everyone knows that politics is broken and we cannot rely on politicians (or judges) to save us — not from poverty, not from the cost of living crisis, not from complete climate collapse. The Labour government doesn’t work for ordinary people, they work for corporations and billionaires. It’s time to put this right. That’s why we’re taking part in this day of action. Join us in Parliament Square on Saturday November 2nd at 2pm. Sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/politics-is-broken-the-umbrella-march
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.
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.
[4] Serving sentences: Larch Maxey, Joe Howlett, Christopher Bennet, Samuel Johnson, George Simonson, Gaie Delap, Theresa Higginson, Cressida Gethin, Roger Hallam, Lou Lancaster, Daniel Shaw, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, Phoebe Plummer, Anna Holland.
On remand: Daniel Knorr, Noah Crane, Ella Ward, Margaret Reid, Indigo Rumbelow, Rosa Hicks, Rory Wilson, Adam Beard, Luke Watson, Luke Elson.
How to write to Just Stop Oil supporters in prison: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GUa6RdJMsFN-uDa03jfleJTVFL86DIfBilVVF6f3E4U/edit
