Just Stop Oil is a nonviolent protest group in Britain that protests to stop the United Kingdom government from licensing new coal and other sources of fossil fuels for energy production. The group was formed in Feb. 2022 and has since been protesting the usage of fossil fuels in the UK.
Just Stop Oil has advocated for this cause in various ways, from peacefully protesting in the streets to vandalizing famous artwork and obstructing traffic. For example, one group of protestors stopped traffic on four of London’s major roadways. The efforts of doing so had many angered motorists out of their vehicles. They were infuriated with their blockade to the point that many motorists dragged the protestors to the pavement to end the blockade, according to theguardian.com.
Just Stop Oil’s attempts to disrupt traffic flow and create an overall disturbance in London have drastically affected the local police force.
“Since 1 October, [2022] more than 7,900 officer shifts have been needed to respond to this activity to try to keep London moving and minimize the serious impact on communities,” Met police assistant commissioner Matt Twist said, according to theguardian.com.
Two protestors also damaged a work of art. This time, their attempts involved the activists breaking the protective glass for “Rokeby Venus” by Diego Velázquez. Their efforts did damage the thin glass layer protecting the painting, but the painting itself after being addressed by conservators, for minor damages was hung back up on December 1, according to smithsonianmag.com and theartnewspaper.com
Their efforts via marching have remained strong. For instance, in one of their peaceful marches in Parliament Square on Oct. 30, 2023, 60 Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested under the UK’s new anti-protest laws. Section Seven of the Public Order Act of 2023 states that if a person interferes with key infrastructure in England and Wales without a good reason for doing so, they will be incarcerated, according to legislation.gov.uk.
Another one of their marches involved blocking Hendon, a major roadway in the UK where more than 110 activists were arrested for transgressions against Section Seven of the Public Order Act of 2023, according to standard.co.uk.
