Just stop oil announces final rally before shifting its strategy

London — British environmental activist group Just Stop Oil announced on Thursday that it would end its high-profile climate protest stunts following a final demonstration in London in April.

“It is the end of soup on Van Goghs, cornstarch on Stonehenge, and slow marching in the streets,” the group said in a statement, claiming it had successfully achieved its initial goal of stopping Britain from approving new oil and gas projects.

Founded in 2022, Just Stop Oil became widely known for its dramatic, headline-grabbing protests, with activists donning the group’s signature orange colors to draw attention to the dangers of fossil fuel emissions.

Their controversial stunts included throwing tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” and covering Stonehenge in orange powder paint to protest government inaction on climate change.

Group claims victory as UK ends new fossil fuel projects

“Three years after bursting on the scene in a blaze of orange, at the end of April we will be hanging up the hi-vis (high-visibility vests),” Just Stop Oil said.

The group declared itself one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in history, citing the UK government’s recent shift in policy.

Since taking office in July 2024, the Labour government has ended new oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea and closed Britain’s last coal power plant—a move Just Stop Oil had long demanded.

The group will hold a final rally in London’s Parliament Square on April 26, after which it plans to focus on legal advocacy, supporting imprisoned activists, and challenging anti-protest laws.

Dozens arrested, leaders face prison time

Since its inception, Just Stop Oil has seen dozens of activists arrested, with the group telling AFP that 15 members are currently in jail.

Earlier this month, a London court reduced the sentence of co-founder Roger Hallam, 58, cutting his five-year jail term down by one year. Hallam had been convicted of conspiracy for planning to block the M25 motorway in an online call.

“A different approach” to climate activism

In a conversation with AFP, Just Stop Oil confirmed it was changing its strategy and working on a new project, though it did not reveal specific details.

“As corporations and billionaires corrupt political systems across the world, we need a different approach,” the group stated.

“We are creating a new strategy to face this reality and to carry our responsibilities at this time. Nothing short of a revolution is going to protect us from the coming storms.”

Mixed reactions to the decision

The group’s disruptive tactics have drawn sharp criticism from politicians, police, and sections of the public.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the group’s decision, saying, “I’m sure plenty of members of the public will be happy to hear that they may be causing less disruption in the future.” However, the government rejected the notion that it had given Just Stop Oil “a win.”

“We have been very clear when it comes to oil and gas that it has a future for decades to come in our energy mix,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace UK co-executive director Will McCallum defended Just Stop Oil’s activism.

“Just Stop Oil paid a heavy price for raising their voices at a time when politicians and corporations are trying to silence peaceful protesters—in the streets and in the courts,” McCallum said.

“We must not allow our hard-won right to protest to be stripped away, because it is the right that all other rights depend upon.”

Years of high-profile protests and legal battles

Just Stop Oil’s protests have made global headlines.

In October 2022, two activists threw tomato soup over the protective glass of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” at the National Gallery in London. In November 2023, protesters smashed the screen covering a painting by Diego Velázquez with hammers.

The group also disrupted central London traffic with “slow marches” in October 2023, leading to the arrest of 62 climate activists protesting against the UK’s oil and gas policies.

With its final rally set for April, Just Stop Oil’s next move remains uncertain—but the group insists that its fight against climate change is far from over.

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