TIG Post

Tag: Just Stop Oil

  • Just Stop Oil should be named a terrorist group, Gareth Johnson MP urges Rishi Sunak at PMQs

    Gareth Johnson accused the group of causing “misery and mayhem” and asked the prime minister to take the extreme measure.

    Just Stop Oil should be labelled a terrorist organisation, a Tory MP has said.

    Gareth Johnson urged Rishi Sunak to make the environmental group a “proscribed” organisation, a term for groups involved in terrorism, at Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon.

    “These people are not protesters, they are criminals,” he said.

    Mr Sunak agreed the protests had caused “mass misery for the public” and claimed they “put people in danger”.

    But he did not go as far as agreeing with the MP’s suggestion, saying: “The police have our full support in their efforts to minimise this disruption and tackle reckless and illegal activity.

    “The Public Order Bill will give them the powers they need.”

    Proscribing an organisation is a measure available to the home secretary under the Terrorism Act 2000 if they think a group commits, participates, prepares, promotes or encourages terrorism.

    It makes being a member of the group illegal, as well as “expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”, and can result in up to 14 years in prison and a fine.

    There are 78 groups on the government’s list, including Islamic and far right extremists.

    Just Stop Oil wants the government to commit to ending all new licenses and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.

    The group’s recent actions have attracted a lot of attention, after they staged four days of protests on the M25.

    In all 63 people were arrested during the protest, with 58 later being charged.

    A spokesperson from the group said: “Gareth Johnson is right to be cross about the disruption caused by supporters of Just Stop Oil – but as we saw in the floods, days after the M25 actions were halted, the terror and mayhem from extreme weather events cannot be arrested, injuncted or proscribed.

    “But the government can end the disruption today, by following the advice of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency and the world’s scientists and ending new oil and gas.”

    The spokesperson also said the members were “ordinary people who use all possible peaceful means to protect all they love”, adding: “Gareth Johnson needs to read some climate science, to face up to reality and then seek to protect his constituents by calling for the end to new oil and gas.”

    Source: Skynews.com 

  • Angry motorists drive Just Stop Oil protesters off London streets

    On Saturday, angry motorists removed Just Stop Oil protesters from central London’s blocked roads.

    Campaigners gathered in Charing Cross Road, Kensington High Street, Harleyford Street, and Blackfriars Road, demanding that the government halt the issuance of new oil licences.

    Drivers abandoned their vehicles in Harleyford Street to remove demonstrators, who returned repeatedly to reclaim their positions on the road.

    Met Police said 33 protesters were arrested and the roads later reopened.

    One motorist said during the protest: “We’ve asked you nicely, you are doing the wrong thing by blocking innocent people going about their business.

    “Can you please move before we pick you up and move you?

    “You are stopping the wrong people, I’ve got to go pick my kids up, I’ve got to get my lorry back to work. We can’t help you, go to Westminster.”

    Just Stop Oil protesters in central London
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Just Stop Oil protesters blocked four roads in central London

    Labour councillor Theresa Norton, 64, from Scarborough, attended to support the protest, saying: “Half an hour’s disruption is not a massive sacrifice.

    “It’s these people that are making the biggest sacrifice. They’ll be arrested, go to a police cell, go to court on Monday.”

    Just Stop Oil said the blockages follow four weeks of civil resistance, during which the police have made 626 arrests.

    Protester arrested by police
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Police made 33 arrests on Saturday

    Speaking after the protest, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said Just Stop Oil protests had “caused a significant amount of disruption and frustration among the public in London”.

    He added: “We will always provide a proportionate policing response to protest and try to work with organisers so that protests can go ahead safely.

    “However, the public rightly expects us to respond quickly and effectively where protest crosses the line into criminality.”

     

  • Dartford Crossing Bridge closed as a consequence of a protest staged by Just Stop Oil

    Long queues have arisen following the closure of the Dartford Crossing bridge due to a protest by two oil protesters who climbed the structure.

    At 8.40 a.m., National Highways reported two-hour delays in both directions and seven to eight kilometres of congestion.

    Just Stop Oil said two of its supporters had scaled the 84m-high masts on the north side of the QE2 bridge “to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents”.

    It’s the latest protest by the group’s activists, who on Sunday sprayed an Aston Martin showroom with orange paint and a few days earlier threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

    “The bridge has been closed while we resolve the incident which we will do as quickly and as safe for all involved,” Essex Police said.

    “It does mean that we have had to close the bridge to traffic, but a diversion is going to be put in place through the tunnel.

    “This is likely to cause delays throughout this morning and this incident may take some time to resolve due to the complexities of safely getting people down from a height.”

    The bridge, which links Essex and Kent, was shut after the report of climbers was received just before 3.50 am. As daylight broke they were pictured dangling from its steel cables.

    The Dartford Crossing also includes two tunnels and is notoriously busy, being the only way to cross the Thames east of London by road.

    Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of traffic stopped after two of their activists scaled the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing on Monday. Police have closed the major road bridge linking Essex and Kent after a report that two people have "climbed onto the bridge and are currently at height"Credit:Just Stop Oil
    Image:The protesters climbed the QE2 bridge’s masts

    Engineer and protester Morgan Trowland, 39, released a statement through Just Stop Oil.

    “I can’t challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I’m taking direct action, occupying the QE2 bridge until the government stops all new oil,” said Mr Trowland.

    Another protester, identified only as Marcus, 33, a teacher, said: “Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.”

     

  •  Just Stop Oil spilled tomato soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers masterpiece

    Just Stop Oil activists have thrown tomato soup over Van Gogh’s masterpiece Sunflowers at the National Gallery.

    Two women walked into a room at the gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square at about 11am, the campaign group said.

    They threw the contents of two tins of Heinz tomato soup over the famous 1888 painting, which has an estimated value of £72.5m.

    Pic: Just Stop Oil
    Image:Pic: Just Stop Oil

    A video shows the two women wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts gluing one hand each to the wall below the painting, which is protected by a pane of glass.

    One of the climate change activists, 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer, then shouted: “What is worth more? Art or life?

    Friday is the 14th day of demonstrations linked to the group – which wants the government to stop issuing all new oil and gas licences.

    The group’s activists have been blocking roadsaround parliament and elsewhere in London in the last few days.

    Last Sunday, police said that more than 100 people had been arrested after a weekend of protest-related activity by
    environmental groups.

    During the protest at the National Gallery, Ms Plummer said: “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting? Or the protection of our planet and people?

    “The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis.

    “Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup,” she added, brandishing a tin.

    Pic: Just Stop Oil
    Image:Pic: Just Stop Oil

    Gasps and exclamations of “oh my gosh!” and “security” rang out from onlookers as the soup hit the painting. Visitors were quickly escorted out by security, who then shut the doors to room 43 of the gallery where the painting hangs.

    Police have arrested two people for criminal damage. In a tweet from the Metropolitan Police Events account, the force said: “Officers were rapidly on scene at the National Gallery this morning after two Just Stop Oil protesters threw a substance over a painting and then glued themselves to a wall.

    “Both have been arrested for criminal damage & aggravated trespass. Officers are now de-bonding them.”