How Just Stop Oil is using public gatherings for their colourful protests in UK

In recent months, the activists from 'Just Stop Oil' have orchestrated a series of attention-grabbing protests, showcasing their ability to amplify their message effectively.

During the first day of the second Ashes Test match between England and Australia at the Lord's cricket ground in London on Wednesday (June 28), three individuals associated with the United Kingdom-based environmental activist group 'Just Stop Oil' disrupted the event. By evading security measures, they gained access to the playing area and proceeded to throw orange powder across the outfield.

England's wicketkeeper, Jonny Bairstow, swiftly intervened and physically removed one of the protestors from the field. The match had to be momentarily halted for approximately five minutes to allow ground staff to clean up the scattered powder.

Captain Ben Stokes and Australia's batsman David Warner collaborated to apprehend the remaining protestor.

Also Read: What is the London oil protest that has led to ICC preparing two pitches for the WTC final

But what motivates them?

The core mission of 'Just Stop Oil' revolves around environmental preservation. Specifically, they demand that the UK government cease issuing new licenses for extracting oil and other fossil fuels within the country.

This movement is an amalgamation of two climate activist groups: Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain.

Contrarily, the government plans to grant licenses for over 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025.

Other noteworthy protests

Disruption of the M25 motorway

The activists chose to target the M25, the busiest motorway in Britain. Over the course of four days, they managed to partially shut down sections of the motorway and climbed onto overhead gantries. These actions took place during the commencement of the international climate change talks, COP27, in Egypt in November 2022.

A total of 35 individuals were arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

Defacement of Van Gogh's painting with soup

In October 2022, protestors at the National Gallery in London targeted one of Van Gogh's renowned Sunflowers paintings. They splattered what appeared to be tomato soup onto the artwork, causing significant damage.

It took six hours for the gallery to restore the painting and clean up the chaos.

Table disturbance at the World Snooker Championship 2023

During the World Snooker Championship, an unexpected disruption occurred when a protester climbed onto the table and covered it with vibrant orange powder. The match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry had to be postponed until the following day for the table to be refurnished.

Another protestor attempted to glue herself to the table where Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi were playing but was promptly stopped by the referee.

The protesters employ tactics such as throwing organic powders and vocalizing their concerns. They have also protested at the show gardens at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, glued themselves to paintings, and even made attempts at disrupting the British Grand Prix.