Stepping up to support climate activists

Aim

Civil resistance is an expensive business. We need to step up with funds to help five climate activists with their £21,500 High Court costs.

“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator” 

”Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.”

Antonio Gutierrez, UN Secretary General.

Our dangerously radical government is failing the whole UK population, failing to protect us, by giving the green light to over a hundred new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. This is madness and Just Stop Oil demands that the government issues no more licences to extract fossil fuels. 

Five brave South West Just Stop Oil activists defied a High Court injunction and blocked a motorway service station in Thurrock as part of Just Stop Oil‘s campaign of disruptive direct action. The ‘Thurrock Five‘ are: Ruth Cook, Joy Corrigan, Dr Patrick Hart, Stephen Jarvis and George Oakenfield. 

 All the Thurrock Five were given suspended prison sentences of between four weeks and four months. Although they represented themselves the High Court has insisted that they pay the costs of Thurrock and.Essex County Councils who took out the injunction. The order was given that they must pay £21,500 within 56 days. Pat Hart was additionally fined £2000. Only two of the five are working, the other three are retired. 

Activists make enormous sacrifices to do what they believe is right and do what needs to be done. We, and particularly those of us who cannot step up on this way, owe a debt of gratitude to these brave people.

Please, let’s all do what we can to support our Thurrock Five by putting our hands in our pockets. It’s the least we can do. 

This project successfully funded on 24th December 2022