Just Stop Oil: 400 Arrested for Protesting Against Petrol

Without a doubt, the world is facing an environmental crisis stemming from the pollution that humans have been generating for decades. Regardless of the warnings that scientists have given about the catastrophic scenarios that could be triggered, the great world powers continue to emit tons of carbon dioxide per year without any concern.

It is true that agreements have been developed to stop polluting emissions. However, these pacts between countries seem to be simple formalisms that remain on paper. The worrying thing is that for years the planet has been warming up abruptly, the consequences of which are already being felt in the countries with the lowest development index. Therefore, this directly affects the communities due to the lack of technology to alert about extreme weather events, the loss of biodiversity and the few contingency plans to mitigate the social impact, among other factors.

In the same way, governments have been unable to understand the matter due to the economic interests that this represents for some powerful groups that see it as an opportunity to continue exploiting coal and hydrocarbons, without measuring the effects on nature. Although it seems absurd, it is a reality that those who hold power do not understand that this situation predicts the end of human life.

Now, activist groups in defense of the environment have begun to make themselves felt because it is unheard of that oil continues to be exploited without control, instead of seeking alternatives for the production of clean energy. At least in the United Kingdom, more than 400 activists who raise their voices against oil companies have been arrested in recent days.

What is happening in the UK?

Recently the environmental group "Just Stop Oil", whose social purpose is to put an end to new oil and gas exploitation projects, has come out to demonstrate against the policies of the British government for allowing these interests to continue developing. However, the chaos generated by the environmental movements put the authorities in the south of England in check, since the actions of the activists generated difficulties in the supply of gasoline. Which led to hundreds of people being arrested in the European country.

According to the official site www.juststopoil.org the group states that “Hundreds of Just Stop Oil supporters have blocked key oil terminals at ten locations across the country with potential in supplying fuel to London and the South East”.

The foregoing makes it clear that the measures and actions of this movement against the fossil fuel industry is a serious issue that seeks to prevent private profits from continuing to be generated while destroying the future of future generations. At the same time, it maintains that scientific evidence is irrefutable and is what gives meaning to the climate crisis.

So, based on real facts and completely academic data, young people continue with their call, claiming a world free of contamination; contrary to what is reflected today.

We recommend you read: Scientific Rebellion Why are academics protesting?

What are the long-term implications of this?

The critics towards the activists have not been long in coming. The Secretary of the Interior, Priti Patel, described them as selfish and dangerous fanatics, at the same time that she issued harsh warnings in which she promised to repress them with the force of the State.

In this sense, as long as the actions of the social movement against the oil industry do not stop, what will be seen is a great repression by the British authorities. However, this may have a serious contrast in the long term. On the one hand, that conservative sectors side with the government because the Just Stop Oil campaign has a negative impact on people's daily lives, since coal and hydrocarbons are the main sources of energy on the entire planet. On the other hand, that the project to put an end to oil expansion becomes a snowball and that large demonstrations begin globally to avoid the climate crisis that is coming from 2030.