I went UNDERCOVER with JUST STOP OIL

A video about Just Stop Oil.

Written, directed and presented by Tom Nicholas.
Edited by Georgia Burrows.
Research by Jon Nash.

*Chapters*
00:00 Teaser
03:00 A Day Out in London
06:52 Who are Just Stop Oil?
13:18 Waiting for the Activists
17:03 Just Stop Oil's Theory of Change
24:27 The Activists Arrive
27:28 What's it like to perform a JSO Action?
30:39 The Big Event
33:28 Just Stop Oil's Critics
41:00 The Police Arrive
45:08 The UK's Crackdown on Political Activism
53:06 The Activists are Arrested
55:21 Does Just Stop Oil's Activism Work?
59:34 A Special Announcement

*Blurb*

Just Stop Oil are a group of climate activists based in the UK. They came to international prominence in October 2022 when two of their activists threw soup over Van Gogh's Sunflowers.

I recently got in touch with JSO to ask if they'd be willing to sit down for an interview about their tactics. They offered me one better: the chance to follow along as they pulled off a controversial plot to break the glass casing surrounding Magna Carta.

Along the way, we'll explore where the group came from, what their goals are, and whether controversial, disruptive activism can really bring about meaningful action on the climate crisis.

Select footage courtesy of Getty
Music from Epidemic Sound

[lifevzdeath]

You had the perfect opportunity to do the "Yep that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation" meme and you missed it...

[johanneskronenberg]

Conspiracy to cause a public nuisance is an exceptionally british crime

[incendiarypoprocks]

Regardless of whatever you feel about the efficacy or convenience of nonviolence protest movements, EVERYONE should be concerned with how quickly the UK and US justice systems moved to become way more authoritarian and fascist in response to environmental and racial justice protests in the past five years. Considering the way RICO charges are being abused against the Stop Cop City protesters in Atlanta, this is an issue we need to be openly criticizing — instead of bellyaching over inconveniences and philosophical differences in nonviolent protest.

[frankiepunkxo]

as a former security guard (for seven years); we do not want to do work. "if you'd like me to leave, I'll do that" means literally minimum work for us. I'll be honest mate, lying to security in that manner is perfect.

[minikame]

The symbolic destruction of the glass shielding the Magna Carta got everyone's balls in a twist, but nobody batted an eye at several successive years of the Tories destroying the actualy rights enshrined within it. It'll always make me giggle when they call JSO 'performative activism' when their selective anger epitomises it.

[rentisme]

Basically the UK has now devolved into "oy! D'yav a license for that nuisance?"

"Of course not, I'm not an oil company."

[johnlocke]

I disagree. The koch brothers are the most controversial climate change activists. Oh wait wrong direction, my bad.

[FriendlyCobblestone]

I'm not a fan of the way just stop oil use the term "direct action" in my opinion it is a misuse because symbolic protest actions are anything but direct.

That doesn't mean it can't have its place or serves no good purpose, but direct action is when you're addressing a problem directly. It's cleaning up a dumpster without a municipality or directly blocking access to private planes or cruise ships, because they are the problem itself or at least part of it.

Breaking the glass around the magna Carta, spraying paint etc. Are all symbolic actions, not direct actions.

[frickinfrick]

I feel uneasy when the only political action I see being taken following these protests are the introduction of more draconian anti protest laws.

[storiesunder]

Honestly, this video made me see JSO in a much better light. The media absolutely detests them.

[ryanm]

That's not Direct Action, it's protesting. Direct Action is a specific form of protest when you take action against the people who have the power to give you what you want. It's not just raising awareness or being disruptive or even using violence; it's targeted action directed at the people with power. That's the key. It's not just about the action, but who that action is directed towards, with the tactical aim of getting prompt and tangible results. Examples would be like blocking a mine, damaging a power station or dumping oil on a PM's front yard. The *targeted action* has to *directly affect* the people with the power to do what you want.

[Fazuchi]

"Oh I must go have a good look at the Magna Carta then" seconds before breaking into it. Calm and collected enough to joke about it, amazing.

[fruit]

Interesting video but I wish you included a more critics with different perspectives. JSO is both criticised by liberals and more radical leftists and I wish you included the perspective of the latter. I feel like more radical leftists take issue with JSO because their strategies are ineffective and very middle class.

Especially throughout this video, I feel like JSO over estimates the value art has in our society, especially amongst the ruling class. The majority aren't outraged at JSO's actions because they consider art to be important to society but because certain art is considered rare and expensive and has perceived value. But ultimately, it's very low on people's list of priorities especially when you're struggling to make ends meet.

I also think getting arrested on purpose is a largely stupid strategy in current climate. Through arrests, you lose activists and what is the point of wasting police time if you're not using that time to do something else. JSO and XR's impact on spurring on anti-protest laws have also shown the negative impact this has caused.

While not climate activism, groups like PAL action who also focus on direct action have had much more progress with their goals. They have directly stopped operations at Elbit systems multiple times, causing the company to lose money and close offices. These activists also get arrested but with each action there is a clear result. This is something I cannot see with JSO. Breaking the casing to the Magna Carta, does not directly contribute to stopping oil.

I also think JSO overestimate the importance of the media. While media can be used to recruit activists (whether those who commit direct actions or protestors) and can put some pressure on governments, I don't think it's the most effective method. Looking at PAL action again, they’re covered a lot less by the media but have been achieving their goals while also gaining support. It forces me to ask, why does JSO target art but not oil companies? Why is JSO's direct action so indirect?

[tobigrantlbart]

My big problem with the type of activism JSO does is that I don't think targeting cultural marks or pieces of art, isn't something that I think oil companies or the government in most cases

The Magna Carta stunt to me is more effective, I think. But for instance the Stonehenge spray thing to me is not about attacking the government or universities that actually fund the oil companies. It's a stunt for the stunt of a stunt. I guess the idea was "These stoned will be destroyed either way if we don't save the planet", but I don't think "So if you think these are important and don't want them to be destroyed stop oil companies" isn't coming across when the direct action against them being deytroyed in the moment is arresting the protestors.

I am all for the end of fossil fuels and I am personally in favor of my countries' green party, because of how I think the climate is a big problem of our world. But the way JSO is advocating for this cause feels on the one hand indirect in the way I think really matter and too direct in ways I think it doesn't

Also and this beyond the cause of JSO (and more from me as an artist), but I think it makes Van Gogh more sad to me inagine that man that didn't make a living from his art, who continued to do art in spite of that, who died poor and being deemed crazy. Whose art after death not just became a symbol for the super rich, but also then to be thrown at with soup. I don't want to speculate how Van Gogh would feel about that, but I hope this will never with my art after I am gone

[shaumkraut]

It sounds quite flippant in comparison to the police response in germany. Here the police have developed specific ways to twist arms and even jaws so that the victim feels pain and is unable to do things, for months after they have been released. And the officers applying those tactics state this often in front of camera.

[qiae]

This topic often reminds me of things relating to MLK and Malcolm X, and the effectiveness of having multiple distinct groups who take varying methods to hand for an important matter.
(edit is to correct spelling of Malcolm X's name, as somehow that mistake had slipped past me on initial posting. Thank you for bringing it to my attention)

[Mkt]

No disrespect, but I'd rather have them throw orange paint and glue themselves on corporate buildings or CEO's mansions instead. IMO, going after artwork or historical artifacts which have public and/or historical value feels super cheap to me.

[dredzik]

Well I would love to become an activist, but since I have another passport, our glorious UK government can take away my citizenship and deport me at the slightest disobedience... I guess we die.

[linden]

I mean for context, I have heard of Just Stop Oil, I haven't heard of the Climate Majority Project before. Unfortunately radical, disruptive action is the only thing that works

[Hey_Canadian]

Wow when I sat down to watch this video I certainly didn't expect to see my ex employer in it, let alone find out he's now amassed a criminal record and become co-founder of JSO in the meantime. But then, it doesn't REALLY surprise me either.