by Mollie Somerville
What being part of the movement has meant for me
I first took non violent direct action with JSO (Just Stop Oil) on 29 October 2022 by sitting in the road outside the Oval Tube station in London to demand no more new fossil fuels. Headline news appeared in the main Sunday newspapers and on TV. I had attended a talk about JSO in the summer and been on a full day’s training on non violent direct action and several zoom meetings. We were told that this would be a two year campaign for the government to meet the demand. The news that JSO was hanging up its boots a few weeks ago was therefore a shock but not a surprise.
Since that initial action I’ve been arrested and charged for 4 more actions and already have two convictions. Three more court cases are due in 2025 and 2026, so although the actions of JSO have finished, the ramifications continue. I have been part of a community of activists. We have met on-line to prepare actions, in person to do the actions and afterwards, on-line again to reflect and recover. I have felt supported and valued throughout. For each action I was given a choice and told the level of risk involved as far as arrest was concerned.
I feel that I’ve done something worthwhile and in keeping with my duty to love my neighbour as myself. People in the global south are already suffering the effects of climate change and will be the worst affected in the future. Our grandchildren too will suffer unless changes are made. I’ll continue to pray, lobby, protest (though not within the M25 because of bail conditions). I may well end up with a 2 year prison sentence for my latest action of throwing soup at a Van Gogh picture in the National Art Gallery and damaging the frame. I’m reconciled to that and there is even training through JSO on how to survive in prison!
What effect has Just Stop Oil had?
Getting mainstream publicity about climate breakdown and the responsibility of the government to act was always one of the main aims of JSO. It has certainly generated plenty of that. Compared to many climate rallies, lobbies, marches and processions I’ve helped organise and attended, it far outstrips them all. A couple of minutes on News at 10 would be the maximum and sometimes that would focus on a small anti-protest group.
The publicity Just Stop Oil has got is by no means always positive and the Daily Mail has delighted in denigrating the participants. Some people argue that the actions and publicity antagonise people rather than gain support. Others say all publicity is good publicity. Only time will tell whether or not JSO has had any real effect. I won’t be around to see but at least I know I’ve tried to do something positive and make my voice heard.
What next?
Just Stop Oil as a campaign has finished but the people who have been involved are still passionate about making a difference. I imagine that there‘ll be some kind of metamorphosis and who knows what kind of butterfly might emerge.
