Just Stop Oil pause all protests while 'far-right riots shake British towns and cities'

7 August 2024, 12:14 | Updated: 7 August 2024, 12:58

Just Stop Oil has announced it is pausing all protests while 'far-Right riots shake British towns and cities,' the group has said.

The activists announced a pause on all actions during a period of "civil unrest" is continuing to sweep the UK.

In a statement, the group said that "without the elimination of the underlying causes of this unrest, the violent disruption we are seeing on the streets is likely to continue".

It comes as five Just Stop Oil activists were jailed for their role in disruption that saw eco-protesters halt traffic on the M25.

Noting "violence on our streets is endangering communities", the climate group added it was "deeply disturbed" by the violence seen across swathes of the UK.

It comes as police remain poised for a night of violence, with officers on standby as part of Starmer's 'standing army' to deal with over 100 far-Right protests across 41 out of 43 UK police forces.

Speaking on the recent unrest, a Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: "Our primary focus as a community is to resist facism, and so supporters of Just Stop Oil will be joining peaceful counter-demonstrations and will be taking part in local clean-up operations in the days ahead."

The group said it was pausing all civil unrest to ensure adequate resources were available in accordance with their "non-violence" pledge.

It added members will join counter-protestors and "in local clean-up operations in the days ahead."

Read more: Five Just Stop Oil eco-activists jailed over M25 protest

Read more: Just Stop Oil: Your eco-protests have gone too far - maybe it's time to Just Stop!

The statement posted to X read: “Like the entire country, our community has been deeply disturbed by the events of recent days. Disturbed, but not surprised.

"The civil unrest the country is experiencing is a taste of what science is telling us will happen, as climate chaos accelerates and makes the preservation of a stable society untenable. 

"We recognise that the violence on our streets is endangering communities, particularly those of Muslims and people of colour. In accordance with our commitment to nonviolence, we will not stretch police resources, such that they are unable to protect communities most at risk.

"Therefore, we are pausing our nonviolent resistance until the immediate threats to safety have been dealt with appropriately. 

Just Stop Oil protesters ‘arrested and removed’ after blocking Gatwick Airport

"Our primary focus as a community is to resist facism, and so supporters of Just Stop Oil will be joining peaceful counter-demonstrations and will be taking part in local clean-up operations in the days ahead."

"We recognise that without the elimination of the underlying causes of this unrest, the violent disruption we are seeing on the streets is likely to continue. This is the inevitable consequence of a broken political system, economic austerity, and the withdrawal of the social safety net.

"Anger has been misdirected by agitators amongst the political class, the billionaire-owned press, and by other elites; who have been scapegoating the people who have done the least to create this situation.

"There are those in the ruling class who would sooner foment the rise of fascism in order to preserve their own wealth, than see a fairer society that works better for everyone."