Controversial protesting has been hitting headlines. I take a look at those who are behind it.
Since its first staged protest in April, Just Stop Oil has caused quite the stir in media for their unique – and oftentimes disruptive – approach of demonstration. Various images of road blockages, physical obstructions and a person chained to a goal post have now been associated with the organisation. At a glance, this may seem like inexplicable chaos, of course for a good cause, but who are these people and why are they choosing to protest in this way?
I decided to find this out for myself at the beginning of October, when I travelled down to Westminster (where Just Stop Oil are currently demonstrating, or ‘occupying’ as they like to call it).
Areas around 10 Downing Street that are usually packed with tourists were almost barren, with only a thin strip of people barricaded in that were taking photos of the changing of the guard. It was a bizarre landscape and a clear sign that Just Stop Oil had been making some prominent disruptions in London.
The protesters could be seen at around the 10 minute mark of my walk from Westminster station – clad in bright orange hi-vis jackets emboldened with the Just Stop Oil Logo, which is a quite unsettling yet fitting skull.
Every ten protesters seemed to be surrounded by ten more policemen, and the road was lined with more Metropolitan Police vans than I had ever seen all together. It became obvious that Just Stop Oil demonstrations were a big source of anxiety for the authorities, who were keeping an eagle-eyed watch for any sudden movements.
After observing the strange and oddly quiet scene, I came across Anthony, a 71-year-old pensioner hailing from Yorkshire who was also sporting the orange hi-vis and handing out Just Stop Oil flyers to the public who would stop to listen.
When you envisage a protest, an older person is not the classic participant you would think of, but in reality this is a very different case, and many pensioners take part. “[I do it for] my grandchildren” was the first thing Anthony said about his purpose of being at the protest. “If we don’t, as a culture, do something about it, they’re gonna have an unliveable life”.
Extremely well-spoken and clearly educated, he really showed the concern he has for our environmental future, and as a consequence the future of everyone else to come. He actually reflected well the sort of person that was protesting that day – older, placid, confident and in good spirits. Not the sort of person many see in the media ‘creating trouble’ whilst protesting.
Anthony then went on to speak about his relationship with the authorities – and it wasn’t a very good one, at that. At the time, he had court appearances for wilful obstruction the day before and the day after having spoken to him. He is truly devoting a big portion of his life to the cause.
“If we don’t, as a culture, do something about it, they’re gonna have an unliveable life”
However he was not going in blind – Anthony has completed a course in Nonviolent Demonstration Safety and Training which he claims has helped him de-escalate many difficult situations.
“I mean I’ve just spent twenty-five minutes talking to a very irate lorry driver, and between us we were able to smile at each other a little bit, but for the most part it is just trying to keep them calm”. It was obvious that these conversations between frustrated members of the public and protesters are vital to understanding the purpose of organisations like Just Stop Oil, and allows both parties to reach a conclusion where they at least respect each other.
It’s a well known fact that reading or seeing something online can create a generalised negative opinion of a topic, even when you don’t read too much further into it.
There’s even a term for it coined by media analyst Gerbner: ‘Mean World Syndrome’. In some aspects this is absolutely the case with Just Stop Oil. Just by experiencing a protest for myself it was clear to see that the participants were simply everyday people that took the issue of climate change into their own hands.
Apprehension for future generations and the environment is a real thing, but it’s just up to the individual how they choose to engage with this – do you ignore it or deal with it yourself?
This was definitely an important experience for me and I would recommend others try engaging with everything they take an interest in on the media (obviously to a safe extent).
Just remember: any one of us could have been that angry truck driver!
For more press releases from Just Stop Oil: https://juststopoil.org/press/