The organization primarily advocated for the UK to cease oil and gas extraction by 2030.
The British environmental group Just Stop Oil concluded its final protest in London, marking the end of three years filled with notable climate demonstrations as they shift their focus away from civil disobedience.
On Saturday, several hundred supporters marched peacefully through central London, moving from Parliament to the offices of major oil and gas firm Shell, where they took off their recognizable high-visibility orange vests.
The group focused on campaigning for the UK to stop oil and gas extraction by 2030 and has become one of the most prominent protest organizations in the country.
In March, the group declared it would stop its high-profile protests, claiming it had successfully met its goal of preventing the UK from approving new oil and gas projects.
Since its inception in 2022, over 3,000 Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested, with 11 currently imprisoned, including co-founder Roger Hallam, who is 58 years old. Five others are scheduled to be sentenced in May.
Some of their controversial actions included splashing tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and throwing orange paint powder on the historic site of Stonehenge.
They also interrupted theater performances and sporting events, such as tennis matches at Wimbledon.
Throughout the years, their actions have faced backlash from politicians, law enforcement, and various members of the public.
However, the group celebrated a victory when the UK Labour government stopped issuing new oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea.
Despite this, Labour has distanced itself from Just Stop Oil, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemning their actions and asserting that protesters should face legal consequences.
Mel Carrington, a spokesperson for the organization, stated that while their actions were effective in gaining media attention, the re-election of climate change skeptic Donald Trump as US president has made their efforts more challenging.
“The repression does make it more difficult to mobilize, and the external environment has changed,” she told AFP.
Just Stop Oil has been vague about its future plans but has indicated that it will “continue to advocate for the truth in legal settings, support our political prisoners, and oppose the UK’s stringent anti-protest laws.”
“Behind the scenes, we are collaborating with other similar organizations to formulate a strategy for what lies ahead,” Carrington remarked.
