The statue of Nelson Mandela, the former South African President and anti-apartheid activist got the Just Stop Oil treatment today with a speech bubble and high viz vest. Just Stop Oil is demanding that the UK government work with others to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030. [1]
At 9:30am today, two Just Stop Oil supporters dressed the figure in a high viz vest and added speech bubbles reading “It always seems impossible until it’s done” and “Just Stop Oil”.
Nelson Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994-1999, after spending 27 years in prison for his actions in support of the African National Congress and its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”). The quote “It always seems impossible until it’s done” is widely attributed to Nelson Mandela although no direct reference exists.[2]
The 2.7m high statue in bronze by English sculptor Ian Walters was installed in 2007 after a campaign by South Africa journalist and anti-apartheid activist, Donald Woods. Mandela, who attended the unveiling said “We trust that the statue will be a reminder of heroes and heroines past, as well as an inspiration for continuing struggles against injustice. [3][4]
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:
“People say it’s impossible to Just Stop Oil, but we would argue it always seems impossible until it’s done. What choice do we have? Scientists are telling us if we carry on burning fossil fuels, crops will fail, billions of people will be exposed to unlivable conditions, hundreds of millions will face starvation and ultimately death. We need a rapid fossil fuel phase out and an emergency plan to protect the people.
“Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity, as a human rights lawyer, political activist, a prisoner of conscience and an international peace maker. Keir Starmer and his ministers could choose to follow Mandela’s example. Instead, they stand with Israel as it slaughters and maims Palestinians and Lebanese, they cheer the incarceration of those involved in the nonviolent struggle to defend life on earth and they defend the companies that are profiting from death and destruction.
“Our struggle will not end until we break the endless cycle of failed politics as usual. The system is broken and we cannot rely on these or any other politicians to save us. We need revolution in how we make decisions, empowering ordinary people to decide their own futures through citizen-led assemblies. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to join us for a day of action on November 2nd.”
Join us in Parliament Square on Saturday November 2nd at 11:30am to take part in the Politics is Broken bloc at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s National Palestine March. As a prefigurative day of action we will be actively inviting and welcoming a large number of groups to come together – including the climate and nature movements, palestine solidarity, inequality and democracy movements to join forces and march on Parliament and join us after at the Umbrella Rally, Supper, Peoples Assembly and After Party. Sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/politics-is-broken-the-umbrella-march
Book tickets for the Assembly, Food and After Party here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/politics-is-broken-peoples-assembly-after-party-tickets-1037794269597
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]
ENDS
Press contact: 07762 987334
Press email: juststopoilpress@protonmail.com
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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.
[2] http://www.mandela.gov.za/biography/index.html
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Nelson_Mandela,_Parliament_Square
[4] http://www.mandela.gov.za/mandela_speeches/2007/070829_statue.htm
[5] 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
