Just Stop Oil supporters found not guilty of criminal damage at London Pride
The activists threw paint over the Coca-Cola float (Just Stop Oil)
The activists threw paint over the Coca-Cola float (Just Stop Oil)
Two Just Stop Oil supporters have been found not guilty of causing criminal damage after they blocked the London Pride parade in 2023.
On 1 July 2023 – the day of Pride in London – protesters sprayed black and pink paint over the Coca-Cola float which was taking part in the parade.
The day before, the climate activism group had threatened to take action at Pride if organisers did not meet its demands, including providing details of the event’s sponsors and making a statement calling for an end to new gas and oil contracts.
24 hours after the demands were issued, Just Stop Oil announced it would be going ahead with action and urged LGBTQ+ and other minority groups to “come together and march for a liveable future for all and demand an end to new oil and gas”.
On the day of Pride in London, protesters from the group made their way in front of the parade as it passed through Piccadilly and halted it, before spraying black paint on the road and lying down in front of the floats. During the demonstration the protesters chanted: “Just stop oil!”
Seven activists were arrested by the Metropolitan Police for disrupting the parade and a day later the force announced that five individuals had been charged under the Public Order Act for behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
“To use Pride and queer liberation to try and hide this is beyond evil”
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, Arthur Clifton and Guido Wieser were found not guilty of causing criminal damage for the demonstration at Pride in London.
Prior to the trial, Clifton said, as quoted in a press release: “Multi-million pound corporations like Coca Cola are wholesale destroying my generation’s future.
“To then use Pride and queer liberation to try and hide this is beyond evil. As long as the government keeps siding with world-ending businesses we all need to step up and act.”
Just Stop Oil are well-known for their headline grabbing demonstrations, including climbing onto the stage during a performance of Les Misérables on London’s West End and throwing soup over Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers artwork.
