Louise's Court Fine (Just Stop Oil)

*update - turns out gofundme has some fees so I've edited the goal to account for these!*

On 18th July, I was found "guilty" for running onto a football pitch to try and protect billions of lives from climate catastrophe.

On 19th July, the UK exceeded 40 degrees for the first time ever, making it the UK's first ever "red alert" heat warning, meaning danger to life.

At least 12 people in the UK have died. More than 1,700 people in Spain and Portugal died in the past week alone due to heatwave. More than 14,000 people were evacuated in France due to wildfires. Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years.

Europe is on fire.

The world is on fire.

In my trial, I was asked to explain what I did, and why.

"I ran onto a football pitch and tried to attach myself to the goal post, in order to achieve maximal publicity for the cause of 'Just Stop Oil', which demands the UK government stop all NEW fossil fuel projects. The UK government are currently planning 40 new fossil fuel projects, despite the United Nations, International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change all saying that we cannot have any more fossil fuel projects (they said that LAST year) if we want a ***liveable*** future. Burning fossil fuels accounts for 89% of all global carbon emissions and 36% of all global methane emissions. It is killing us."

I was asked if I thought I had a 'reasonable' excuse to go onto the pitch.

At which point, I broke down in tears.

"There are 13 million people currently facing severe hunger in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia due to drought as a result of human-induced climate change. The latest IPCC report predicts that by 2030, 250 million people in Africa will not have enough water for their needs, which will result in half of the entire African population being displaced. The Committee on Climate Change predicted last year that we will experience disruption to food supplies in the UK as soon as the 2040s. So yes, I think it is reasonable to disrupt a football match for a few minutes to try and stop this happening."

I was then asked if I wanted to say anything else, at which point I addressed the Judge directly:

"I just want to say that I think it’s highly ironic that on the hottest day the UK has ever had, when thousands of people are going to die from the severe heat, I am being called a criminal. Why is it a crime to run onto a football pitch, to try and stop billions of deaths worldwide, yet ecocide is not?

As a Judge, you are meant to stand for justice. You are meant to decide what is right. So tell me - is it right that the UK government are licensing billions of deaths worldwide, through more fossil fuels? Or is it in fact right to stand up against that?"

He sentenced me to a £172 fine, a conditional discharge, and a Football Banning Order which means I have to surrender my passport to the police whenever there is a major international football tournament on so that I cannot travel during those periods.

The climate crisis is genocide. Almost half the Earth's population (3.4 billion) are "highly vulnerable to climate change" (IPCC, 2022). Fossil fuels are the primary cause.

Our government is complicit. Our "justice" system is complicit. But I will not be.

I will continue to engage in civil resistance, like the Suffragettes did, like the Freedom Riders did, like the Civil Rights movement did. Because history proves that that is our "last best hope". We have been marching, writing to our MPs, signing petitions and protesting on the sidelines for over 30 years - and nothing has been done. Our emissions are not falling - they are rising. We must stop this. We must Just Stop Oil.

We have "a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity” (UN) to stop climate catastrophe from becoming completely irreversible and out of our hands - and, in plain words, killing us all. "The next 3-4 years will determine the future of humanity" (Sir David King, Former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, 2021).

I urge you not to be complicit, but instead, join me, join the entire activist community, in this fight for our lives.

If you could spare just £5-10 to help me cover my court fine, that would be so appreciated. This is just one way that you can easily help support the cause of Just Stop Oil. If more than £172 is raised, I will use the excess to fund my involvement in future actions - to fight for my life, your life, and life itself.

Thank you.

https://juststopoil.org/events/ - Come to an online or local in-person talk to hear about the campaign and how you too can get involved (both arrestable & non-arrestable roles needed)

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/jso-volunteer-with-us/ - Volunteer with us

https://juststopoil.org/donate/ - Donate to the campaign