Supporters of the climate group Just Stop Oil have announced the conclusion of their campaign of civil resistance after three years of impactful protests. The announcement was made by Hannah Hunt, who initially propelled the movement with a speech on Valentine’s Day in 2022. Speaking outside Downing Street in London, Hunt conveyed the message that the campaign would officially end its actions in April, stating, "Three years after bursting on the scene in a blaze of orange, at the end of April, the Just Stop Oil campaign will be hanging up the hi-vis."
During her speech, Hunt highlighted the achievements of Just Stop Oil, noting that their demands to halt new oil and gas projects had been adopted into government policy. She asserted, "Just Stop Oil’s demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history." Hunt estimated that the group had kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil underground and cited court rulings declaring the licensing of new oil and gas developments unlawful.
However, she emphasised the urgency of addressing ongoing climate threats, warning, "We are heading for 2C of global heating in the coming decade, resulting in billions being killed, mass civil unrest and social collapse." She also noted the increasing power of corporations and billionaires in political spheres, claiming a tendency to marginalise the weak and vulnerable.
The group’s internal plans include ongoing actions leading up to a final protest scheduled for Parliament Square on 26 April. Following this event, Just Stop Oil plans to shift its focus to legal avenues and advocacy in the courts and prisons, effectively marking a transition from street protests to strategic legal actions. The group indicated that any future movements or protests initiated by supporters would operate under a different banner and strategy.
In their official statement, Just Stop Oil asserted, "Just Stop Oil was intended to be a campaign to prove the effectiveness of disruptive tactics in bringing about necessary change, and we have been incredibly successful in that aim, but it’s now time to change." This strategic shift comes in response to increasingly stringent laws established in recent years that have complicated the execution of disruptive protests. Among these laws are new offences targeting actions that interfere with critical national infrastructure, such as the acts of "locking on" and tunnelling, as well as updated regulations regarding public nuisance.
The enforcement of these laws has resulted in the imprisonment of numerous activists, including five supporters of Just Stop Oil who received lengthy sentences last summer for planning to blockade the M25 motorway. Although their sentences were reduced following an appeal earlier this year, they remain notable for being the longest ever delivered for non-violent civil disobedience in the UK.
Additionally, amidst the evolving dynamic of climate activism, new groups have surfaced that diverge from traditional commitments to accountability for their actions, and have begun to operate in a clandestine manner targeting organisations they hold responsible for exacerbating the climate crisis.
Source: Noah Wire Services