Just Stop Oil holds first protest in 17 months
No new drilling — Having previously said that it was “hanging up the hi-vis”, the climate activist group has blocked a road outside Parliament to protest Andy Burnham opening the door for new oil and gas extraction licenses in the North Sea.
Just Stop Oil has staged its first major demonstration in 17 months, blocking a road outside Parliament as Andy Burnham took part in his first Prime Minister’s Questions as prime minister.
Around 60 activists held banners including “FOR FUCK’S SAKE, JUST STOP OIL” as they took to the road at midday, bringing traffic to a standstill. A number of protesters are understood to have glued themselves to the road, with one lane left clear to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
The Metropolitan Police began making arrests within half an hour of the protest beginning, and arrests are ongoing.
The action coincided with Burnham’s first appearance at PMQs, after the prime minister raised the possibility of further oil and gas extraction from the North Sea.
Read next: Just Stop Oil don’t need you to like them
Protesters say they are demanding that the government reject any further oil and gas developments, while supporting a Fossil Fuel Treaty to phase out fossil fuels.
Sam Burgess, a 26-year-old student from Lancaster who took part in the action said: “More oil is a death sentence. I’m not going to sit by and wait for this figure to include someone I love.”
Just Stop Oil had previously announced that it was “hanging up the hi-vis”, ending its campaign of mass disruption after the government committed to stopping new oil and gas licences. The group’s last major public protest took place in April 2025.
The activists now argue that ending new licences does not go far enough, and have turned their attention to ending fossil fuel extraction altogether.
“We are all Just Stop Oil. Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.” Just Stop Oil spokesperson
The protest comes amid renewed warnings about the pace of climate change. The group cited UN projections that the world is on track to reach at least 2C of warming, while the UK saw its hottest summer on record this year.
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said the group’s return to direct action was a response to the prospect of further oil and gas extraction.
“We are all Just Stop Oil,” the spokesperson said. “Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank,” they continued.
A spokesperson for Met Police said: “Police were called at 12:04hrs on Wednesday, 2 September following reports of disruption on Parliament Square.
“Officers are currently on scene and continue to engage with a group of people, believed to be Just Stop Oil supporters,” they continued. “Specialist officers have been deployed, and some members of the group have been removed from the road.”
Ella Glossop is Huck’s social editor. Follow her on Bluesky.
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