Just Stop Oil supporter from Doncaster helps shut down Central London

They are demanding the government heed the advice of the International Energy Agency, the United Nations and a majority of the UK public and stop granting licences for all new oil, gas and coal projects immediately.

The Just Stop Oil supporters marched from Trafalgar Square to Westminster on Monday and across Waterloo Bridge on Wednesday. They are expected to march again today (Friday), and to continue over the coming weeks.

On each occasion the Metropolitan Police issued a Section 7 order from the Public Order Act 2023 and arrested all the marchers.

One of those arrested this week, Isabella Pickard, aged 19, a carer and biomedicine student from Sheffield, said:

“I’m slow marching with Just Stop oil because I refuse to stand by and allow the government to destroy all that I hold dear. To be neutral is to be complicit in climate and societal breakdown. I’m willing to be arrested because I care about people and I know that this crisis will disproportionately affect those already marginalised”.

Greg Sculthorpe, aged 37, an accountant from Doncaster, has been arrested twice this week and remains in custody awaiting a court appearance. He said:

“We urgently need to stop our criminal government destroying the lives and futures of ordinary people. It’s the responsibility of all of us now to resist. More and more people are supporting civil resistance as it becomes clear our leaders are failing to protect us. Please sign up to slow march with Just Stop Oil”

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has pledged to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas reserves while announcing 100 new oil and gas licences. Since then 50 MPs and peers, from all major parties, have written to the energy secretary to demand a rethink. Conservative MP and former Science Minister Chris Skidmore said that the decision was “wrong” while the rest of the world was experiencing record heatwaves and that history will not look favourably on it. He said he would ask the speaker for an emergency debate when parliament returns from its summer break.

Civil service union, PCS, has said that statements made by senior politicians which argue that increasing domestic fossil fuel extraction is compatible with the UK and global net zero commitments are not correct. They suggest if the Prime Minister was a civil servant he would stand in breach of the Civil Service Code as his announcement was not rooted in evidence and was misleading.

A spokesperson from Just Stop Oil said: “We are not prepared to watch while the government plans for millions to die and destroys everything we love. It’s up to all of us now to come together and resist. We cannot let them divide us. Together we can be the real opposition this country needs and we will win. We will stop new oil and gas.

“From 20th November, Just Stop Oil is calling on everyone to join us every day at midday in Trafalgar Square to march in London until the government comes to its senses and ends new oil and gas.”