Climate extremist group Just Stop Oil has blockaded Downing Street, site of the Prime Minister’s official residence, and say they will not leave “until their demands are met”.
Climate activists have declared Westminster “a site of non-violent civil resistance until the government commits to end new oil and gas”, according to local media — although Prime Minister Liz Truss and other key members of government are not even in London at the moment, due to the annual Conservative Party conference taking place in London.
“This Government is making the criminal decision to destroy people’s lives by supporting fossil fuel companies to maintain their grip around the throat of humanity,” the group announced, somewhat histrionically, in a full statement posted to their website.
“Thousands and thousands of people will die in Britain this winter unable to heat their homes,” they continued — without immediately explaining how undermining Britain’s energy independence by putting an end to new oil and gas drilling and overturning the fracking ban would rectify this.
“We are done with asking politely. We are done with demonstrations and marches. We are done with the corrupt political establishment,” they said, describing their blockade as “an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project.”
“Our supporters will be returning – today – tomorrow- and the next day – and the next day after that – and every day until our demand is met – no new oil and gas in the UK,” they vowed.
Just Stop Oil, one of many increasingly extreme groups to have splintered off from Extinction Rebellion, made headlines over the summer for a series of stunts in which activists glued themselves to historic artworks across the country.
Perhaps more seriously, they blockaded a large number of key oil depots and terminals in April, causing significant disruption right as the national price cap was being hiked on billpayers.
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