Just Stop Oil stages 'go slow' protest march through Lancaster

Around 15 Just Stop Oil supporters marched through the city centre on Saturday morning, holding banners and handing out leaflets.

Just Stop Oil supporters adopted the tactic of slowing traffic to a crawling pace by marching slowly along roads across London in December.

The Lancaster action follows the group’s previous northern slow marches in cities across the region over the last few months, including a previous one in Lancaster.

It comes three weeks after the start of Just Stop Oil’s indefinite campaign of civil resistance in London.

Slow marches are highly disruptive but until now a completely legal form of protest.

However, despite failing to get a parliamentary majority for new legislation to criminalise the slow marches, the government handed police new powers a couple of weeks ago to crack down on them.

The actions are being carried out in defiance of the new government crackdown on slow marches.

Those taking part are demanding that the government heed the advice of the International Energy Agency, the United Nations and energy experts and cease development of all new oil and gas projects immediately.

Greg Sculthorpe, an accountant from Doncaster who took part in the march, said: “The government is trying to intimidate us. We must stand up to them or we'll lose our freedoms and allow them to make us poorer and more vulnerable.

"New oil and gas licences are a death sentence for our children and millions of people in poorer countries around the world. It's heart-breaking to see the misery and suffering already being caused by heatwaves, flooding and wildfires and it's only going to get worse unless we act.”

Since the Just Stop Oil campaign began on April 1 2022, there have been more than 2,100 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, many without trial.

There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters serving prison sentences for resisting new oil, gas and coal.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: “In moments of emergency, we must stand up and be brave, we must stand up for good over evil, life over death, right over wrong.

"Just Stop Oil is calling on everyone to pick a side. Either you are actively supporting civil resistance, fighting for life, or you are complicit with genocide.

"The time is now. Join us and slow march while you still can. Our indefinite campaign of civil resistance has begun and will not end until our government ends new oil and gas.

“Head to juststopoil.org and sign up to join a slow march with your regional team. See you on the streets.”

Just Stop Oil is hosting a talk in Lancaster with Bill McGuire, Emeritus Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards at University College London, and author of 'Hothouse Earth' on June 21 at the Friends Meeting House.

Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.