Just Stop Oil Hijacks City Traffic in Rush Hour Protest
At 8am, 10 Just Stop Oil activists in fluorescent vests stormed Aldersgate Street, City of London. They marched slowly along London Wall, snarling rush hour traffic across major City roads. A police convoy of 7 vehicles and 20 officers trailed the protest, but no arrests were made.
Activists Defiant Amid Rising Police Crackdown
Just days earlier, two protesters were arrested during a similar march in west London. A Just Stop Oil spokesperson vowed:
“We will continue to do whatever is nonviolently possible to demand an end to new oil and gas. We will not be intimidated by changes in the law or government posturing on tougher policing tactics.”
They slammed government policies they say threaten food supplies and risk civil unrest:
“No government has a democratic mandate to pursue policies that will destroy our food supply and leave vulnerable people starving and hungry… They are failing to uphold the fundamental duty of government which is to protect its citizens.”
Protesters Speak Out: ‘No Second Chance’
Oscar Bailey, 26, a London software developer, explained why he joined the campaign:
“I’m tired of government inaction on the biggest issue of our generation, possibly in the history of our species. We know the problem, we know the solution. There is no second chance – our actions will be remembered for centuries. We need to make the right choices now.”
Hefty Jail Terms and Thousands of Arrests
Justice is harsh for some activists. On Monday, Jan Goodey, 57, from Brighton, was jailed for six months after an M25 protest last November. Meanwhile, two more supporters face sentencing today at Westminster Magistrates Court, having pleaded guilty to public nuisance charges related to the same motorway action.
This week’s protests mark a pause after six weeks of nonstop disruption from Just Stop Oil, which saw over 700 arrests by police. Since April 1st, more than 2,000 protesters have been arrested, with 26 currently behind bars.
Why Just Stop Oil Isn’t Backing Down
The group continues its peaceful defiance of government plans to licence over 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025. They condemn political failure to tackle skyrocketing energy bills and accuse leaders of complicity in “the death of millions” and the collapse of societal order.
They urge the public to “stand with our supporters in prison” and warn:
“This is the moment, we are the last generation that can solve this. Will you step up and join us? If we all come together we can do this. We can Just Stop Oil.”
