Pride protest aimed to raise awareness of ‘genocidal new oil and gas licenses’, Just Stop Oil spokesperson says

2 July 2023, 15:12 | Updated: 2 July 2023, 15:13

Just Stop Oil spokesperson defends Pride protest

Emma Brown, a spokesperson for the eco-protest group, told Sangita Myska that the aim of the Pride protest yesterday was not to stop the event but "disrupt" and replicate gay rights campaigners' civil disobedience in the 1980s.

After five Just Stop Oil protesters were charged for disrupting Saturday's London Pride parade, Sangita asked Emma for a response to "the mayor of London" saying "he felt like your tactics had begun to backfire- in his words he said that you made a mistake by trying to stop the float moving."

Ms Brown responded: “I’m just tired of hearing that what we’re doing is backfiring… I don’t see where the evidence is that our protests are in any way causing people to be less engaged in the issue and less aware of the government’s plan on ploughing ahead with genocidal; new oil and gas licenses.”

She then continued: “I do think that when we’re talking about pride, pride is a protest, all the Just Stop Oil protesters involved including me we are queer…and if you saw the action it was people dressed in the most flamboyant outfits spraying pink paint form a golden fire extinguisher- I don’t know how you can get more pride than that.”

She also corrected Sangita when she suggested the group was trying to ‘stop’ the event: “We weren’t trying to stop it, there is a difference between disrupting, making a scene, and stopping something.

“If we look at Peter Thatchel and non-violent disobedience in the 1980s… They disrupted the Arch Bishop of Canterbury’s easter service…politicians and media people at the time said that was putting people off, and they did mass kissings, do you not think people said at the time that this is counter-productive- this is what works”

Sangita countered this by saying: “People ring in and say they have every sympathy with Just Stop Oil’s position on the environment, but what they will say is that for you to go along and disrupt the tennis tomorrow at Wimbledon, what your doing is stopping hard-working people who have saved an awful lot of money from enjoying a summer sport.”

READ MORE: Five charged by Met during Just Stop Oil protest at London Pride as new police powers come into force

Emma answered plainly: “Collectively the only way we have power is to disrupt business as usual and make our voices heard.”

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