As airport disruption continues globally, the UK locks eight Just Stop Oil supporters up

Eight Just Stop Oil supporters have been remanded to prison over a Heathrow protest. It comes as the UK has joined other countries as part of Oil Kills – the international uprising, demanding governments commit to an emergency treaty to end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.

Oil Kills – but lock Just Stop Oil up anyway

On Tuesday 23 July, seven Just Stop Oil supporters Sean O’Callaghan, Rory Wilson, Adam Beard, Sally Davidson, Luke Elson, Luke Watson, and Hannah Schafer were arrested at the perimeter fence of Heathrow Airport.

A further three, Rosa Hicks, Julia Mercer, and William Goldring were arrested at various locations in connection with the incident. That is, they weren’t even at Heathrow – but were arrested anyway:

🚔 Rosa Hicks was arrested in a house raid immediately immediately following the arrests of the 7.

⛓️ Despite being nowhere near Heathrow Airport, she has also been remanded to prison. pic.twitter.com/Z4kceusyNq

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) July 25, 2024

Late on Thursday 25 July, all ten appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Julia Mercer and William Goldring have been granted bail. All others have been imprisoned without trial.

As journalist Tristan Kirk noted, cops and the court didn’t even publicly announce that the Just Stop Oil supporters were appearing at court. It’s almost like authorities are restricting access to justice:

Ten Just Stop Oil activists charged with conspiracy to interfere with Heathrow Airport

Eight remanded in custody at court today, two on bail

Utterly infuriating neither court nor police thought it important to publicise this hearing before it happened. Open Justice? Not a lot

— Tristan Kirk (@kirkkorner) July 25, 2024

One of those imprisoned today is Luke Elson, a support worker from London who said:

I am a desperate uncle who is trying to safeguard my girls’ futures because what’s in store terrifies me. And whilst I say this, there are already countless people in the global South who are mourning the deaths of family members. Loved ones who have been lost because of famine, drought and extreme heat. People are suffering now and millions more people will suffer soon. I must do everything I can to prevent that.

Global uprising

In the past 48 hours, 13 groups across 10 countries have so far participated in Oil Kills, the international uprising to end fossil fuels.

They are Letzte Generation in Germany, Folk Mot Fossilmakta in Norway, XR Finland, Futuro Vegetal in Spain, Just Stop Oil in the UK, Drop Fossil Subsidies and Act Now – Liberate in Switzerland, Letzte Generation Austria, Extinction Rebellion and Scientists Rebellion, Sweden and Last Generation Canada, XR Boston and Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island, USA.

On 25 July at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), supporters of Letzte Generation used skateboards to gain access to the airfield at around 4am BST. Seven used a glue-concrete mix to attach themselves to the tarmac, while one other fixed themselves at the fence.

As of 6am BST, the disruption was registered at 5/5 on flight mobility trackers, with air traffic suspended at the airport:

In Oslo, a group of eight from Folk Mot Fossilmakta and Scientist Rebellion Norway blocked the fast track check-in of Gardermoen Airport (OSL) at 5:10am BST, causing large queues. They held a banner that read ‘Fast track to phase out’:

Around 37 people have been arrested around the world, all of which have now been released, apart from the eight imprisoned today in the UK.

Oil Kills protests will continue

The eight imprisoned from Just Stop Oil in the UK join Amy Pritchard who was sentenced in June to ten months in prison for breaking a window belonging to the world’s largest fossil fuel funder, JP Morgan.

They also join the ‘Whole Truth Five’, Roger Hallam, Daniel Shaw, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, Louise Lancaster, and Cressida Gethin, who have been imprisoned for four-five years in the longest ever sentences for peaceful direct action in UK history.

The Oil Kills international uprising comes as it was announced on Wednesday that the record for the world’s hottest day has been broken twice in one week. On Monday, the global average surface air temperature reached 17.15C, breaking the record of 17.09C set on Sunday. This beats the record set in July 2023, and it could be broken again this week.

Just Stop Oil said:

As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportional action necessary to generate much needed political pressure. This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world.

Featured image and additional images via Just Stop Oil