The most controversial Just Stop Oil protests as climate group ceases direct action
Over the course of three years, activists have taken part in a number of high-profile demonstrations, including throwing cans of soup on van Gogh paintings, blocking roads and even disrupting a West End performance of The Tempest .
Just Stop Oil's initial demand was for the to end licences for new oil and gas production in the UK, which is now a government policy.
Although it will no longer be taking direct action, it will continue to speak in court for what it calls its 'political prisoners' and call out anti-protest laws in the UK.
The announcement comes after new laws have made it increasingly difficult to carry out disruptive protests.
Campaign group activists have been arrested for numerous direct action protests since the group started in 2022.
Here, The Independent highlights a few of the most memorable protests. Soup thrown on Van Gogh's sunflowers
One stunt from the group saw two eco-activists throw tins of Heinz tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers in October 2022.
Phoebe Plummer 23, and Anna Holland, 22, caused as much as £10,000 worth of damage to the artwork's gold-coloured frame when they targeted it at London's National Gallery.
Two protesters threw tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh's famous 1888 work Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London (Just Stop Oil/PA) (PA Media)
Plummer received a two-year jail term, while Holland was handed 20 months.
The protesters, wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts, threw the soup over the 1888 work, worth more than £74 million, before kneeling down in front of the painting and gluing their hands to the wall beneath it.
Staff at the gallery inspected the painting and frame for damage while the women were still attached to the wall, and were worried the soup may have dripped through the protective glass.
The frame was purchased by the gallery in 1999, the court heard and was valued at £28,000 before it suffered the estimated £10,000 worth of damage. Disrupting a West End play
Two Just Stop Oil protesters were accused of disrupting a West End performance of The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver in January.
Richard Weir, 60, of Tynemouth, and Hayley Walsh, 42, of Radcliffe on Trent, both in Nottinghamshire, were charged with aggravated trespass at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane on January 28, Scotland Yard said.
The pair were accused of climbing on to the stage before setting off confetti and unfurling a banner that read: 'Over 1.5 degrees is a global shipwreck.'
Just Stop Oil targeted a West End performance of The Tempest last month (Just Stop Oil/PA) (PA Media) Orange powder on Stonehenge
Orange powder was sprayed on the ancient monument during a Just Stop Oil protest in June 2024.
Video footage posted on social media showed two people wearing white shirts with the slogan Just Stop Oil approaching the stone circle with canisters and spraying orange powder paint.
Following the protest, English Heritage said experts had quickly removed the orange powder from the stones.
Rajan Naidu, 74, and Niamh Lynch, 22, pleaded not guilty to two charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance following the incident on June 19 last year. They were released on bail.
The action sparked widespread condemnation as well as concerns over about potential damage to the stones and the lichens that grow on them.
Two protesters threw tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh's famous 1888 work Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London (Just Stop Oil/PA) (PA Media)
Campaigners poured paint over the robot and unfurled a Just Stop Oil banner (Just Stop Oil/PA Wire) (Just Stop Oil/PA Wire) Paint poured over Tesla robot
Two Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested after pouring orange powdered paint over a robot at a Tesla shop in Shepard's Bush, west London.
Metropolitan Police said retired teacher Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and former tax adviser Nigel Fleming, 63, climbed on to a podium display in the store on March 12.
The campaigners then proceeded to pour paint over the robot and unfurled a Just Stop Oil banner.
The environmentalists said it was a protest against Tesla owner Elon Musk and other billionaires 'jeopardising climate science' and threatening democracy. Four days of protest on the M25
Environmental campaigners brought rush hour traffic on the M25 to a standstill causing chaos for motorists when protesters climbed up the gantries.
Five Just Stop Oil protesters were handed jail terms over the protests.
Police closing the M25, where a demonstrator from Just Stop Oil climbed the gantry in 2022 (Just Stop Oil/PA) (PA Media)
Roger Hallam, 58, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, agreed to cause disruption to traffic by having protesters climb onto gantries over the motorway for four successive days in November 2022.
Just Stop Oil co-founder Hallam was sentenced to five years' imprisonment while the other four defendants were each handed four years' imprisonment.
Prosecutors said the M25 protests, which saw 45 people climb up the gantries, led to an economic cost of at least £765,000, while the cost to the Metropolitan Police was more than £1.1 million.
They allegedly caused more than 50,000 hours of vehicle delay, affecting more than 700,000 vehicles, and left the M25 'compromised' for more than 120 hours.
Activists also targeted several locations along the motorway circling Greater London in a call to end all new oil and gas licenses.
The campaigners staged a similar protest in October 2023 by climbing the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge which links Kent and Essex, causing the closure of the Dartford Crossing for two days.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Spacey told actor ‘don't worry about it' after alleged assault, documents claim
Ruari Cannon is suing Mr Spacey as well as two organisations connected to the Old Vic Theatre in London, claiming he suffered psychiatric damage as a result of sexual and emotional abuse. The 33-year-old has waived his anonymity in the claim. In court documents seen by the PA news agency, Mr Cannon alleges that Mr Spacey, who was a 'powerful figure and a world-famous actor and celebrity' at the time, assaulted him in about June 2013, when he was 'a very vulnerable young man'. Oscar-winning actor Mr Spacey has previously denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour and wrongdoing, and details of his defence are not yet available. According to the documents, filed in June, Mr Spacey was working as artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre at the time of the alleged assaults on a production of a play by Tennessee Williams known as Sweet Bird Of Youth, and Mr Cannon was a member of the cast in this production. They claim that Mr Spacey 'took a particular interest' in Mr Cannon for 'reasons of sexual interest' and sent him a 'lavish' gift of a framed poster of the 1985 production of the play directed by Harold Pinter. After the press preview of the show on June 12 2013, Mr Cannon attended a party at The Savoy in London organised by The Old Vic Theatre Company (The Cut) and The Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000. It is claimed that one of the alleged assaults took place at the event. Setting out the allegations, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, for Mr Cannon, said: 'Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant towards him, turned him around through 45 degrees and placed his left hand on the claimant's buttocks and lifted up the recess material of his suit.' It is alleged that Mr Spacey then pushed Mr Cannon's underwear 'as far up' into his bottom as possible, 'so as to cause pain and distress'. Ms Gumbel added: 'Mr Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant closer to him and whispered into the claimant's ear 'Don't worry about it'. 'Mr Spacey made more uncalled for and unwelcome advances to the claimant during the evening.' The following day, Mr Cannon reported the alleged assaults to his stage manager at the Old Vic Theatre, but no action was taken. According to the documents, it is accepted that Mr Cannon did not ask for any action to be taken, and was scared about how any further action might affect his career. Later that year, during the run of the show, Mr Cannon saw Mr Spacey at the Old Vic bar. Mr Spacey allegedly said to him, 'I hear you have a dirty secret', and then said: 'Open up.' Ms Gumbel said: 'Kevin Spacey then forced open the claimant's mouth with his fingers and thumbs and commented 'quite a bad boy' before the claimant could pull away. 'The claimant then left the bar. The forcing open of the claimant's mouth was another assault for which Kevin Spacey was responsible and for which the second and/or third defendants were vicariously liable. 'Further in 2017 when the Old Vic set up a confidential complaints email on October 31 2017 the claimant reported the above complaint again to the Old Vic.' She added that the alleged assaults were carried out by Mr Spacey in the course of his work for the organisations connected to the Old Vic, and they are 'vicariously liable' for the alleged assaults carried out in the context of a theatre production. Law firms Carter-Ruck, which is representing Mr Spacey, and Clyde & Co, representing the companies, have been approached for comment.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Spacey told actor ‘don't worry about it' after alleged assault, documents claim
Ruari Cannon is suing Mr Spacey as well as two organisations connected to the Old Vic Theatre in London, claiming he suffered psychiatric damage as a result of sexual and emotional abuse. The 33-year-old has waived his anonymity in the claim. In court documents seen by the PA news agency, Mr Cannon alleges that Mr Spacey, who was a 'powerful figure and a world-famous actor and celebrity' at the time, assaulted him in about June 2013, when he was 'a very vulnerable young man'. Kevin Spacey attending Cannes Film Festival (Doug Peters/PA) Oscar-winning actor Mr Spacey has previously denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour and wrongdoing, and details of his defence are not yet available. According to the documents, filed in June, Mr Spacey was working as artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre at the time of the alleged assaults on a production of a play by Tennessee Williams known as Sweet Bird Of Youth, and Mr Cannon was a member of the cast in this production. They claim that Mr Spacey 'took a particular interest' in Mr Cannon for 'reasons of sexual interest' and sent him a 'lavish' gift of a framed poster of the 1985 production of the play directed by Harold Pinter. After the press preview of the show on June 12 2013, Mr Cannon attended a party at The Savoy in London organised by The Old Vic Theatre Company (The Cut) and The Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000. It is claimed that one of the alleged assaults took place at the event. Setting out the allegations, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, for Mr Cannon, said: 'Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant towards him, turned him around through 45 degrees and placed his left hand on the claimant's buttocks and lifted up the recess material of his suit.' It is alleged that Mr Spacey then pushed Mr Cannon's underwear 'as far up' into his bottom as possible, 'so as to cause pain and distress'. Ms Gumbel added: 'Mr Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant closer to him and whispered into the claimant's ear 'Don't worry about it'. 'Mr Spacey made more uncalled for and unwelcome advances to the claimant during the evening.' The following day, Mr Cannon reported the alleged assaults to his stage manager at the Old Vic Theatre, but no action was taken. According to the documents, it is accepted that Mr Cannon did not ask for any action to be taken, and was scared about how any further action might affect his career. Later that year, during the run of the show, Mr Cannon saw Mr Spacey at the Old Vic bar. Mr Spacey allegedly said to him, 'I hear you have a dirty secret', and then said: 'Open up.' Ms Gumbel said: 'Kevin Spacey then forced open the claimant's mouth with his fingers and thumbs and commented 'quite a bad boy' before the claimant could pull away. 'The claimant then left the bar. The forcing open of the claimant's mouth was another assault for which Kevin Spacey was responsible and for which the second and/or third defendants were vicariously liable. 'Further in 2017 when the Old Vic set up a confidential complaints email on October 31 2017 the claimant reported the above complaint again to the Old Vic.' She added that the alleged assaults were carried out by Mr Spacey in the course of his work for the organisations connected to the Old Vic, and they are 'vicariously liable' for the alleged assaults carried out in the context of a theatre production. Law firms Carter-Ruck, which is representing Mr Spacey, and Clyde & Co, representing the companies, have been approached for comment.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Spacey told actor ‘don't worry about it' after alleged assault, documents claim
Ruari Cannon is suing Mr Spacey as well as two organisations connected to the Old Vic Theatre in London, claiming he suffered psychiatric damage as a result of sexual and emotional abuse. The 33-year-old has waived his anonymity in the claim. In court documents seen by the PA news agency, Mr Cannon alleges that Mr Spacey, who was a 'powerful figure and a world-famous actor and celebrity' at the time, assaulted him in about June 2013, when he was 'a very vulnerable young man'. Oscar-winning actor Mr Spacey has previously denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour and wrongdoing, and details of his defence are not yet available. According to the documents, filed in June, Mr Spacey was working as artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre at the time of the alleged assaults on a production of a play by Tennessee Williams known as Sweet Bird Of Youth, and Mr Cannon was a member of the cast in this production. They claim that Mr Spacey 'took a particular interest' in Mr Cannon for 'reasons of sexual interest' and sent him a 'lavish' gift of a framed poster of the 1985 production of the play directed by Harold Pinter. After the press preview of the show on June 12 2013, Mr Cannon attended a party at The Savoy in London organised by The Old Vic Theatre Company (The Cut) and The Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000. It is claimed that one of the alleged assaults took place at the event. Setting out the allegations, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, for Mr Cannon, said: 'Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant towards him, turned him around through 45 degrees and placed his left hand on the claimant's buttocks and lifted up the recess material of his suit.' It is alleged that Mr Spacey then pushed Mr Cannon's underwear 'as far up' into his bottom as possible, 'so as to cause pain and distress'. Ms Gumbel added: 'Mr Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant closer to him and whispered into the claimant's ear 'Don't worry about it'. 'Mr Spacey made more uncalled for and unwelcome advances to the claimant during the evening.' The following day, Mr Cannon reported the alleged assaults to his stage manager at the Old Vic Theatre, but no action was taken. According to the documents, it is accepted that Mr Cannon did not ask for any action to be taken, and was scared about how any further action might affect his career. Later that year, during the run of the show, Mr Cannon saw Mr Spacey at the Old Vic bar. Mr Spacey allegedly said to him, 'I hear you have a dirty secret', and then said: 'Open up.' Ms Gumbel said: 'Kevin Spacey then forced open the claimant's mouth with his fingers and thumbs and commented 'quite a bad boy' before the claimant could pull away. 'The claimant then left the bar. The forcing open of the claimant's mouth was another assault for which Kevin Spacey was responsible and for which the second and/or third defendants were vicariously liable. 'Further in 2017 when the Old Vic set up a confidential complaints email on October 31 2017 the claimant reported the above complaint again to the Old Vic.' She added that the alleged assaults were carried out by Mr Spacey in the course of his work for the organisations connected to the Old Vic, and they are 'vicariously liable' for the alleged assaults carried out in the context of a theatre production. Law firms Carter-Ruck, which is representing Mr Spacey, and Clyde & Co, representing the companies, have been approached for comment.
