According to AFP on Wednesday, “Just Stop Oil” (JSO) held its last demonstration in downtown London. Hundreds of JSO activists marched from the front of the Palace of Westinminster to the headquarters of energy giant Shell with a banner reading “Resistance works.” The group said it would stop the protest, saying that its goal has been achieved as the Labor government has decided to stop exploring new oil and gas.
Established in 2022, the organization drew attention with its violent demonstrations, such as pouring tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflower” paintings and painting Stonehenge, a British heritage site, with orange paint. Protests on highway signboards obstructed road traffic for a long time or interfered with sports events and performances such as Wimbledon and tennis games. Over 3,000 activists have been arrested by police over the past three years, of whom 11 are still in prison. Five more are expected to be sentenced next month.
The group cited the achievement of the goal of stopping new energy projects as the reason for the suspension of protests, but some analysts say it is due to negative public opinion and strict response from the authorities.
JSO spokesman Mel Carrington said, “JSO’s activities have been very effective in attracting media attention,” but added, “The repression has made it increasingly difficult, and the external environment has changed.” They declined to comment on future responses, but said they would “continue to tell the truth in court and criticize Britain’s repressive anti-protest policy.” He added, “We will work with other organizations to explore the next strategy.”
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
