After three years of sustained protests marked by disruption and high-profile stunts across London and beyond, the climate activist group Just Stop Oil (JSO) has held what it proclaimed as its final march through the capital. The protest movement, known for its distinctive bright orange attire and high-impact demonstrations, has attracted significant attention and sparked controversy since its emergence.
JSO declared its intention to "hang up the hi-vis" last month after a campaign that involved thousands of arrests and led to substantial policing costs. Throughout 2023 alone, the Metropolitan Police reportedly spent nearly £20 million to manage the group's activities, which frequently caused significant public disruption. To date, around 3,300 protesters associated with JSO have been arrested, with approximately 180 jailed.
The group’s demonstrations have targeted iconic locations and events, eliciting strong public reactions. Among the most dramatic protests was one at Stonehenge, where two activists, Niamh Lynch, 21, from Oxford, and Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham, breached security barriers and sprayed orange paint on the ancient stones. Although English Heritage has indicated there is "no visible damage," concerns were raised by heritage stewards about potential harm to rare lichen on the monument. JSO supporter Ben Larsen told Sky News, "Well you can call them criminal damage if you like, it's a bit of orange dust on a rock that's weathered 5,000 years of British weather."
The group also disrupted a performance of Les Misérables at London's Sondheim Theatre in October 2022 by mounting the stage with their orange banner, halting the show and forcing approximately 1,000 theatregoers to leave. Five protesters involved in the incident were found guilty of aggravated trespass.
Sporting events were not spared from JSO’s actions. In June 2023, activists invaded the pitch during the Ashes Test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground, dispersing orange powder and drawing the intervention of England wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow, who removed one protester from the field. The protesters involved were subsequently found guilty of aggravated trespass but avoided prison sentences.
Other incidents include activists throwing tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery in October 2022, though the painting was protected by glass and was not damaged. This stunt was orchestrated by Phoebe Plummer, one of JSO’s most prominent members, who has been arrested several times over her involvement in protests.
In another notable action, Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 34, scaled the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing in October 2022, staging a prolonged protest that caused major traffic disruption. Despite denying charges, both were jailed for public nuisance offences.
JSO’s protests have at times targeted political figures as well. In March 2023, Plummer led a delegation to the home of Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales, delivering a letter with their demands. Plummer was subsequently arrested for breaching bail conditions related to her ongoing activism.
Safety concerns were heightened by a protest at the Silverstone British Grand Prix in July 2022, when six activists trespassed onto the racetrack during a red-flagged race, risking the safety of drivers and marshals. They later received suspended sentences.
Other demonstrations include the disruption of the snooker World Championship in April 2023. Edred Whittingham, a repeat JSO protester, released orange dye onto the Crucible Theatre’s snooker table, leading to the cancellation of a match. Margaret Reid, another activist, attempted to interrupt a separate match but was prevented by officials.
The group has also targeted cultural events such as the Chelsea Flower Show in 2023, when three women climbed over a barrier to spread orange powder over a sustainable garden, prompting arrests and criticism from the garden's designers, including award-winning landscaper Gareth Wilson.
In October 2022, two activists defaced a waxwork of King Charles III at Madame Tussauds by smearing it with cake. The pair, Eilidh McFadden and Tom Johnson, were found guilty of criminal damage and ordered to pay compensation. This protest was notable given King Charles's longstanding advocacy on environmental issues.
Despite their contentious tactics, Just Stop Oil maintains that their campaign is "one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history." However, public opinion data from 2023 shows less than 20% of people in the UK hold a favourable view of the group. Even within environmental circles, JSO’s approach has been criticised for potentially setting back the broader cause.
A government spokesperson recently clarified that it had not acceded to JSO’s demands to cease North Sea oil production and rejected suggestions that the group had secured any official concessions, stating, "It is obviously up to them to decide how they want to conduct their operations, although I'm sure there will be plenty of members of the public happy to hear that they will be causing less disruption in the future."
As Just Stop Oil announces its disbandment, some former activists express intentions to continue climate protests outside the group’s structure, albeit facing challenges posed by tough new policing laws. A member of the group Shut the System, which has undertaken acts including window smashing and paint attacks, told the BBC that activists are being "forced underground."
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil highlighted the ongoing urgency of their cause, stating: "The orange cornflour we used to create an eye-catching spectacle on Wednesday has already been blown away, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis has not. Until the next government signs the international Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuels and to support dependent economies, workers, and communities to move away from oil, gas and coal, we will continue to come together in civil resistance."
The group’s final parade past Parliament marked the end of a campaign that has significantly shaped public and political discourse around climate activism in the UK, while also provoking wide-ranging responses from the public, law enforcement, and the political establishment.
Source: Noah Wire Services