Is YOUR uni next? All the uni campuses that Just Stop Oil has hit so far this week

Orange really is the new black because Just Stop Oil has now arrived on university campuses across the UK. In a week of action, student members from Just Stop Oil have already targeted buildings at The University of Oxford, University College London, The University of Bristol, The University of Exeter, The University of Birmingham, Sussex University and Falmouth University and it appears that no uni is safe!

Just Stop Oil is an activist group which wants the UK to stop allowing the production of fossil fuels, which are a major contributor to climate change. The universities targeted so far this week are all unis that have received large amounts of money from fossil fuel giants. In 2022, UK universities have taken £40 million in fossil fuel funding. So, the action on uni campuses this week is part of a wider campaign by Just Stop Oil to recruit younger members and students to the action.

In a statement on their website yesterday after the string of protests, Just Stop Oil said: “Students are demanding that university leaders make a public statement calling on the government to end new oil and gas projects, and make a commitment to join their students in marching on the streets of London, if the government fails to respond.”

You can see what the protestors have to say for themselves in this TikTok here:

 

So, here is every uni campus that has been hit with a Just Stop Oil protest so far this week because you might be next:

Bristol

On Monday, Bristol was the first university to be hit with Just Stop Oil action. Ben Meehan, a film student at UWE Bristol covered the Queen’s Building in orange paint with a fire extinguisher. Bristol security staff arrived within minutes of the protest before police arrested Ben. The paint was cleaned immediately.

Speaking exclusively to The Bristol Tab, Ben said that he specifically targeted the university’s engineering building to call out the university’s association with corporations that they deem to be accelerating the climate crisis.

He said: “We sent a letter to all the vice-chancellors, asking all universities to support students engaging in civil disobedience. We need to just start fucking waking up, standing up and being counted, rather than just going along and accepting all these systems that are destroying us.”

A spokesperson for The University of Bristol said: “The University of Bristol plays a key role in tackling environmental change through its research, its teaching and how it operates.We know how important this is, not just to our staff and students, but to the whole world, which is why sustainability remains one of the central strands shaping the University’s vision of the future.

“We respect our staff and students’ right to raise concerns about issues they feel strongly about in a lawful way and we will continue to listen to and engage with their views, however we ask that these are discussed with us directly and through appropriate channels.”

Exeter

On Tuesday, Exeter was also hit by a Just Stop Oil protest at The Forum. George Simonson, 23, painted the exterior of Exeter University’s Forum with red and orange paint above its foyer entrance. Using an orange spray can, he wrote the words, “Just Stop Oil” alongside the paint.

George’s actions at the Exeter University Forum were a direct response to the university’s funding from fossil fuel sources, receiving a staggering £14.7 million from Shell, the highest out of all UK universities.

Speaking before the protest, George said: “Studying engineering taught me that we already already have the solutions to address the climate crisis, what we lack is the political will. The politicians have been bought, and educational institutions are absolutely complicit in allowing them to continue this genocide.

“Universities are accepting tens of millions in dirty money and letting the fossil fuel companies come to careers fairs to give out free pens! Students have a duty to step up and show teaching institutions we won’t stand for it anymore.”

George also had a phone number written on his arm, ensuring that when he got arrested, he knew who to call when he didn’t have his phone. In a later address to the crowd, he commented, “I’m not having fun. I’m going to be arrested.”

A spokesperson for Exeter University said: ‘The protest being held at the University’s Streatham Campus has concluded peacefully. The University respects the right to protest, providing it is carried out safely, respectfully and within the law. We understand the individual involved has been arrested, and will not comment further during the police investigation.”

Oxford

Hitting probably the most iconic uni building in the world, on Tuesday, Just Stop Oil protestors sprayed the Radcliffe Camera at The University of Oxford with orange paint.

Daniel Knorr, a 21-year-old biochemistry student at Oxford, and Noah Crane, an 18-year-old who has just finished his A-Levels, were arrested over the protest. As they spray painted the 285-year-old building, Daniel said: “I am taking action to resist the destruction of my generation. Oxford academics are fully aware of the scale of the climate crisis: this year Oxford scientists said that in a few years climate breakdown will routinely expose people to unsurvivable heat and humidity.

“In other words, hundreds of millions of people will be forced to move, or die. This is mass murder. It is genocide.”

A spokesperson for The University of Oxford said: “One of Oxford’s library buildings, the Radcliffe Camera, was vandalised with orange spray paint during a Just Stop Oil protest today. The University does not support illegal action, including any unlawful protesting, and may, within its powers, take any steps it considers appropriate against any student guilty of such behaviour.”

Birmingham

Yesterday, Just Stop Oil targeted Birmingham University’s library at around 1:30pm. Student Harrison Donnelly used buckets of paint alongside orange spray paint and dripping hand prints on the walls of the library before shouting: “We need to just stop oil. There is no future in new oil and gas licences it needs to go. The world can’t continue like this. Stand up and fight.” Harrison as arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.”

A spokesperson for the University of Birmingham said: “We are aware of a Just Stop Oil protest carried out by an individual on the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus today, which saw our library building daubed with orange paint. Whilst the university respects the right to protest, this must be carried out safely, respectfully and within the law.”

UCL

Yesterday at University College London, the iconic Portico Building was painted orange by Just Stop Oil. Arthur Clifton, an English Literature graduate from Exeter University, used a fire extinguisher to paint the landmark UCL pillars orange.

Speaking ahead of the action, Arthur explained his motivation: “I cannot stand by in terror and do nothing as my entire generation is sold out for short-term profit.”

“I wonder how long it is before my 10-year-old sister has to face the food shortages and violence that so many across the globe are already facing in the wake of social breakdown brought on through climate collapse?”

In a memo seen by The London Tab, staff on campus were informed that there were planned protests yesterday. The email read: “We have been informed by UCL that Just Stop Oil (JSO) may be planning to target UCL’s Bloomsbury campus… from around lunchtime tomorrow.” It also noted: “UCL are putting in place additional security measures on campus to help to keep everyone safe.”

One person has been arrested after the incident and a UCL spokesperson said: “We condemn this act of vandalism which caused some disruption at our Bloomsbury campus.”

Sussex

Sussex University was the next uni to fall victim to Just Stop Oil and what a WEEK for them. Yesterday, Oscar Denman-Gould used a fire extinguisher to paint the University of Sussex Library orange.

Oscar, 20, said: “I didn’t go to university because I couldn’t see the point in it when I knew how bad things were, and what was coming. I wanted to be a teacher. The government’s constant disregard for the futures of young people has taken that dream away from me.”

The University of Sussex said it “supports the right to protest, provided it is carried out respectfully and within the law” and a spokesperson added: “We’re disappointed that today’s protest resulted in vandalism of a university building. We take the climate crisis seriously. The University does not accept funding from oil and gas companies and, earlier this year, we joined a coalition of universities urging the asset management industry to halt support for fossil fuels.”

Falmouth

And yesterday at Falmouth University marked Just Stop Oil’s seventh protest. At the main entrance to Falmouth’s Penryn Campus, two uni grads Ethan Paul and Holly Astle used a fire extinguisher to paint the building orange.

Speaking before the protest, Ethan said: “Universities have had 30 years of IPCC reports and COP conferences to sort this out and they have catastrophically failed my generation because they refuse to stand up to our government. They have wasted the one chance we had to prevent the greatest threat our species has ever faced.”

A spokesperson for Falmouth University said: “This morning, there was a peaceful demonstration on Penryn Campus. We respect peaceful and lawful protest; however, this event was escalated by a small number of individuals who caused criminal damage to two buildings. This will now be investigated by police and through our internal processes.”

Manchester

Today at Manchester, 19-year-old Ruby Hamill sprayed orange paint over Manchester Uni’s Allen Gilbert building whilst crowds chanted: “JUST STOP OIL, JUST STOP OIL.”

Six police cars, one police van and twenty police officers including a specialist armed unity were deployed. In a video, Ruby can be seen telling her friend not to worry about her. She is then carried away by Police officers as a crowd cheers. Ruby has since been arrested.

Speaking before her protest she said: “I’m taking action to call out the hypocrisy of Manchester Uni, an academic institution which is fundamentally betraying its students. Taking money from oil and gas firms means being complicit in their greenwashing.”

“This summer we all watched as thousands of Libyans were washed out into the ocean, and fires annihilated life on Maui. Immense suffering is a reality now for millions. This is why students across the country are stepping into action and marching with us in November.”

Cambridge

And in Just Stop Oil’s ninth strike on universities this week, The University of Cambridge was hit at around 12:10 pm today. The grade one listed building at King’s College Cambridge was painted orange by Chiara Sarti, a PhD student working in the department of Computer Science at Cambridge.

Police attended the scene at arrested Chiara. Clean up of the building has already began.

Leeds

Today, at around 1:15pm, The University of Leeds was officially the tenth uni to be hit by Just Stop Oil. Sam, a recent Leeds grad in Geography and Economics sprayed orange paint over the Great Hall at Leeds. He was arrested and carried away by police.

He said: “I’m taking action today because universities are lying to us. I studied Human Geography & Economics and was not told that hundreds of millions will be killed over the coming decades from famine, fire and war over resources because of the climate crisis. We have been betrayed by academics and university executives that are too cowardly to tell the truth, let alone take action to stop it.”

This is a developing story. We will update as and when we have more information. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Exeter University’s Forum defaced with red and orange paint by Just Stop Oil protestor 

• University College London’s iconic Portico pillars painted orange in Just Stop Oil protest

• UWE student arrested after painting Bristol Uni building orange in Just Stop Oil protest