Parents and grandparents are among 33 Just Stop Oil supporters from across Somerset standing shoulder to shoulder today in London slow marches.
Amongst them are a retired professor from Bristol, a company director from Frome, and a retired community worker from Bath. All week, teams from across the South West will be disrupting key roads in London to demand the UK government end all new oil, gas, and coal developments.
Just Stop Oil have said: "These marches are taking place against an escalating backdrop of global climate disasters. Record-breaking floods in Italy have killed 13 while temperatures in Spain have broken April records, and Canada has experienced the most devastating start to its wildfire season in history."
Just Stop Oil teams from across the country have been marching six days a week since the 24th of April.
Ruth Cook, 71, a company director, mother and grandmother from Frome said:
“I’m doing this because I am desperate. We have all the evidence we need to know that we are on course for a future of climate disaster and already we’re seeing enormous suffering in other parts of the world. I cannot ignore that.
“I must take action to demand that our criminal government and history has shown that only disruption really works.”
Ana Heyatawin, 60, an art and music therapist and grandmother from Wells, said: “I refuse to be a silent bystander as a few bad leaders and their shareholders watch humanity die for their profit. We are all shareholders of planet Earth and this is one of the last AGMs. Use your voice now – join Just Stop Oil in a slow march in Central London and know you’re on the right side of history.”
Harriet Bradley, 77, a retired sociology professor, Bristol said: “I’m slow marching with Just Stop Oil because we’re steaming towards catastrophe, and must do whatever we can to sound the alarm. If governments don’t start taking meaningful action, our world will soon become uninhabitable – not just for us, but for many of the beautiful creatures we share it with.
“Licensing new oil and gas exploration in 2023 is insane. People are dying now and millions more will die. We cannot let this criminal government get away with murder.”
Julio Santamaria, 41, a community volunteer and father of three, also from Bristol, said: "I’m marching alongside those who are on the right side of history. The climate emergency and cost of living crisis are one and the same, caused by a greedy elite who will commit mass murder to keep their billions trickling into the bank.
“Licensing new oil and gas projects is an act of genocide, but we don’t have to stand for it. To do nothing is to be complicit, so I urge everyone who cares to join us on the streets. Hope lies in action and it’s not too late to act.”
Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on 14th February 2022, there have been over 2,100 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, many without trial. There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters serving three year prison sentences for resisting new oil, gas and coal.