{"id":16929,"date":"2025-08-26T16:44:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929"},"modified":"2025-08-27T17:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:41:57","slug":"just-stop-oil-is-over-was-it-a-win-or-a-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/just-stop-oil-is-over-was-it-a-win-or-a-shutdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win &#8211; Or a Shutdown?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In April 2025, the UK\u2019s loudest climate movement vanished overnight. Some say Just Stop Oil was \u2018policed to extinction\u2019, its members say they won. But what really caused their shutdown?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was still dark when the raid hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a leafy South London street, riot police smashed through the front door of a semi-detached house. Equipped in helmets, batons, and body armour. Their heavy boots thundering across the wooden floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHands visible! Stay where you are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside, activists were yanked from sleeping bags and sofas. Phones, books, and bags were photographed, drawers were emptied, luminous-orange banners unfurled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James Skeet &#8211; barefoot, groggy, cuffed &#8211; was dragged into the garden without a word of explanation. \u201cThey sent 50 riot cops to burst my door open,\u201d Skeet recalls. \u201cA whole street\u2019s worth. It was crazy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hadn\u2019t committed a crime. Not yet. James Skeet, a seasoned Just Stop Oil activist on his way to an interview with Piers Morgan, was arrested for staying in a house where others had allegedly planned a protest, an M25 blockade that never happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scenes like this have led some to claim Just Stop Oil was policed to extinction. Infiltration. Surveillance. Raids. Prosecutions. The legal walls closed in, and activists ran out of breathing room. Eventually, the movement collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-arrest4-1-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Just Stop Oil Protestor Under Arrest. Credit: Just Stop Oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>But Just Stop Oil rejects that idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its final press release, the group was clear on its stance:<br>\u201cJust Stop Oil\u2019s initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history.\u201d As they told supporters, \u201cit is the end of soup on Van Goghs, cornstarch on Stonehenge and slow marching in the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to James Skeet, the end of Britain\u2019s most infamous modern political group was largely anticlimactic, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a big celebratory thing,\u201d he says. \u201cit was like: oh. We won. All right. What now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anna Holland was one of two young people who threw Heinz tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh\u2019s \u2018Sunflowers\u2019 painting \u2013 one of the most infamous climate protest stunts in recent years. Holland, believes the organisation should\u2019ve ended even earlier, saving itself from \u201cpetering out,\u201d by declaring victory with the introduction of a new Labour Government: \u201cJust Stop Oil probably should have shut down when Labour came into power, because Labour came into power with the decision to end all new oil and gas licences. That was our demand met. That was our victory. At that point, we should have shut down, because that&#8217;s what we set out to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith social movements, especially in recent decades, it is so rare that we get wins. We don&#8217;t know how to celebrate them when we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-410x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16937\" style=\"width:770px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-410x1024.png 410w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-120x300.png 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-770x1925.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1.png 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-293x733.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-410x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16937\" style=\"width:770px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-410x1024.png 410w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-120x300.png 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-770x1925.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1.png 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-inforgraphic-1-293x733.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Timeline Detailing Just Stop Oil&#8217;s History.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Movement Designed To End<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For Skeet and others in the core group, the shutdown wasn\u2019t a retreat. It was a designed exit. The Just Stop Oil organisers realised the group would eventually lose their drive, deciding to shut down with a win, before the state could shut them down or the group fell into obscurity, \u201cOne thing you notice about the mechanics of social movements is they go in boom-and-bust cycles,\u201d he says. \u201cyou get maybe three-year windows. After a while, you start to see the pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just Stop Oil was never intended to last. It was built for a singular goal: to end new UK oil and gas licences. That narrow focus was a deliberate contrast to sprawling predecessors like Extinction Rebellion, or Fridays for Future. No assemblies. No manifesto. No internal strife over which causes to support. Just Stop Oil was structured. Activists volunteered for action, and a leadership team assigned them. The movement was a slick machine, built for efficiency. Designed for disruption \u2013 and to achieve their one demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, at least in policy terms, they got it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/oil-rig-north-sea-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oil Rig &#8216;Cormorant South&#8217;, The North Sea. Credit: Greenpeace Unearthed.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The new Labour Government ruled new oil and gas licences unlawful. But in doing so, it slashed taxes on oil companies operating in the North Sea. So, whilst JSO achieved its stated goal, North Sea oil drilling still gained ground. Ed Milliband, Labour\u2019s Energy Secretary, framed the move as pragmatic. \u201cOil and gas production will continue to play an important role, and as the world embraces the drive to clean energy, the North Sea can power our plan for change and a clean energy future in the decades ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other leftist voices condemned the movement\u2019s victory. GMB Union, an industrial trade union representing over 600,000 UK workers, advocated against the policy of ending new licenses. Speaking to the BBC, its General Secretary Gary Smith cited concerns around global instability. \u201cIn the new geopolitical reality \u2013 it\u2019s madness. If the North Sea is being prematurely closed down and we are increasing import dependence \u2013 that\u2019s bad for jobs, economic growth and national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just Stop Oil outwardly ignored the criticism, celebrating the win they were given. They said, \u201cWe\u2019ve kept over 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the ground and the courts have ruled new oil and gas licenses unlawful,\u201d JSO\u2019s shutdown press release stated, \u201cwe exposed the corruption at the heart of our legal system&#8230; And we will continue to speak out for our political prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, inside the movement, no one thinks the crisis is solved, or that the fight for the climate is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCollapse is basically baked in,\u201d Skeet says. \u201cwe\u2019re talking food riots, we\u2019re talking full societal collapse potentially. We\u2019re going to be dealing with some serious shit, mark my words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Roger Hallam, JSO\u2019s most visible founder, now serving prison time for his role in the group\u2019s M25 gantry protests, offered a darker assessment. Speaking to the BBC from his cell, Hallam admitted the fight was far from won, saying in the grand scale of the crisis, the group had only made a \u201cmarginal impact\u201d on the climate emergency. That failure, he claimed, lay not with Just Stop Oil\u2019s activists, but with the \u201celites and our leaders\u201d who had \u201cwalked away from their responsibility to tackle the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/hallam-final-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion &amp; Just Stop Oil Founder. Credit: BBC.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The State Strikes Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While JSO racked up headlines, the state fought back \u2013 hard, condemning activists in an unprecedented state suppression campaign. In three years, Britain passed sweeping new public order laws, many drafted with input from oil-linked think tanks. Blocking roads, \u2018locking-on\u2019, even making sufficient noise at protests &#8211; all became criminal offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tipping point came with the Stansted 15 ruling, which gutted the necessity defence\u2014the legal argument that a crime was justified to prevent greater harm. \u201cThe legal space for protest shrank dramatically,\u201d says Professor Graeme Hayes, a protest law expert at Aston University. \u201cActivists now face jail time without being able to explain why they acted. That\u2019s changed everything. It\u2019s fundamentally anti-democratic. It denies activists their speech rights in court. But it also denies juries their decisional function. It enables state overreach and removes a valuable feedback mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hayes criticises the policies implemented by current Secretary of State, Yvette Cooper. \u201cI don\u2019t think they care,\u201d he says, \u201cYvette Cooper for example simply doesn\u2019t care if activists can\u2019t justify themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James Skeet knows it first-hand, having been drawn through a multi-year court case for his pre-emptive arrest in an alleged conspiracy to stage a gantry protest. \u201cI\u2019ve just come out of a court case where I was looking at four to five years,\u201d he says. \u201cthe consequences are massive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holland has also seen the effects of state suppression. Released on conditional discharge, all signs pointed to them being able to avoid time behind bars. \u201cI had glowing character references, I\u2019m part-way through a master\u2019s degree, and I\u2019m under 25, all signs pointed to me getting suspended at worst. And then\u2026\u201d she pauses for a moment, \u201cI was sent to prison anyway, and still got one of the harshest sentences for criminal damage ever, and that was a really hard moment. I had essentially gone against my nature for the past two years, and not taken any action, all to protect my family. And then I couldn&#8217;t protect them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holland admits that state suppression was successful. The government\u2019s campaign of arrests, imprisonment, and imposing bail conditions meant there simply weren\u2019t enough willing activists for the movement to continue. \u201cThe policing was definitely a big part of it. Up until the Air Force actions, when so many of us got sent to prison in essentially one fell swoop, it was pretty much the same few people who were working full-time within Just Stop Oil. There was a small group, because it\u2019d gotten so difficult to get people to stand up and join us, so there was simply no one to take our place when we all went to prison.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/final-jso-shoreditch-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Just Stop Oil Activist Resists Arrest In Shoreditch, London. Credit: Just Stop Oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Privilege And The Price Of Disruption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>But even within the movement, there was a quiet reckoning: JSO\u2019s tactics relied on privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The average member? White. Middle class. University educated. The kind of person who could risk arrest without risking everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re going to encourage people to get arrested, class privilege is an asset,\u201d says Professor Hayes. \u201cit\u2019s a form of white privilege\u2026 the environmental movement remains very white, very middle class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those within the movement argue that their lack of diversity is exactly the point, allowing activists to be arrested en-masse, a form of protest in of itself. \u201cWith regards to us being predominantly white and middle class. Yeah, that&#8217;s absolutely fair. We are. The way our legal system is rigged in this country, it\u2019s white middle-class people who are most able to get arrested and take these actions that break the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe police are so systemically racist. As a non-binary person myself, even as a female-bodied person, I was terrified about how the police would treat me and their prejudice against me. Of course, you&#8217;re going to see white middle class people on these front lines, because we are the people who can give up the time and give up the money to be able to take these actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, they reckon with the criticism, taking it in their stride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI almost sometimes feel quite vindicated when people use these arguments against us&#8230; If it&#8217;s the upper class trying to punch down at us, it makes me feel quite vindicated to think about the only thing they can find to criticise about us is who it is taking the action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1.png 976w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-770x433.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-293x165.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1.png 976w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-770x433.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/disruption-jso-1-293x165.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Activists Face A Police Blockade. Credit: Just Stop Oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Comes Next?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGovernments everywhere are retreating from doing what is needed,\u201d Just Stop Oil\u2019s final message warned. \u201cas we head towards 2\u00b0C of global heating by the 2030s&#8230; Billions of people will have to move or die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their tone wasn\u2019t triumphant. It was urgent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are creating a new strategy&#8230; Nothing short of a revolution is going to protect us from the coming storms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether that strategy means smaller cells, a pivot to political systems, or something more radical, no one\u2019s saying. Yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But one thing is clear: the next phase won\u2019t look like the last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-impact-image-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Just Stop Oil Activist At Their Shutdown Protest In London. Credit: The Guardian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not going to be about disruption anymore,\u201d Skeet says. \u201cnot in the same way. Not at the same scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holland sees the prescription of Palestine Action as a watershed moment for protest in Britain. The state\u2019s move to proscribe the group has been largely unpopular, fuelling the existing pro-Palestine movement: \u201cWhatever comes next, it&#8217;s going to be different. And I think this has been the turning point we&#8217;ve needed&#8230; It feels like the first time the public are really standing behind us and are really on our side.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re already thinking beyond protest, towards organising politically, \u201cWhat I want to see happen is a joining together of community focus groups and more disruptive radical groups&#8230; When we bring down this system of corruption and genocide and sheer injustice on all fronts, we need to make sure that we have the foundations ready to build the community we want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for all the scrutiny, for all the collapse and the chaos, Holland remains resolute: \u201cHistory will vindicate us. This is something we see happen in every social movement. Whatever movement is fighting for good, they are hated at the time and then they are loved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-410x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16968\" style=\"width:512px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-410x1024.jpg 410w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-410x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16968\" style=\"width:512px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-410x1024.jpg 410w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/protest-law-illustrated-timeline-infographic-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Timeline Detailing Escalating Protest Laws In Britain<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some say Just Stop Oil was \u2018policed to extinction\u2019, its members say they won. But what really caused their shutdown?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1225,"featured_media":16930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,48],"class_list":["post-16929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-activism","tag-culture"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Some say Just Stop Oil was \u2018policed to extinction\u2019, its members say they won. But what really caused their shutdown?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-26T15:44:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T16:41:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"563\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Daniel Taylor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Daniel Taylor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929\",\"name\":\"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-26T15:44:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-27T16:41:57+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/f07cfcf916973b7e430bfdb2179a4885\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":563,\"caption\":\"Credit: Just Stop Oil.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win &#8211; Or a Shutdown?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/\",\"name\":\"Life360\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/f07cfcf916973b7e430bfdb2179a4885\",\"name\":\"Daniel Taylor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/avatar_user_1225_1732818930-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/avatar_user_1225_1732818930-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Daniel Taylor\"},\"description\":\"I'm a student journalist at Cardiff University, specialising in environmental\/geographical journalism.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/author\/taylordl3\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360","og_description":"Some say Just Stop Oil was \u2018policed to extinction\u2019, its members say they won. But what really caused their shutdown?","og_url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929","og_site_name":"Life360","article_published_time":"2025-08-26T15:44:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-27T16:41:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":563,"url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Daniel Taylor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Daniel Taylor","Estimated reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929","name":"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win - Or a Shutdown? - Life360","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-26T15:44:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-27T16:41:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/f07cfcf916973b7e430bfdb2179a4885"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/08\/jso-shutdown-front.jpg","width":1000,"height":563,"caption":"Credit: Just Stop Oil."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=16929#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Just Stop Oil Is Over. Was It a Win &#8211; Or a Shutdown?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/","name":"Life360","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/f07cfcf916973b7e430bfdb2179a4885","name":"Daniel Taylor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/avatar_user_1225_1732818930-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/avatar_user_1225_1732818930-96x96.jpg","caption":"Daniel Taylor"},"description":"I'm a student journalist at Cardiff University, specialising in environmental\/geographical journalism.","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/author\/taylordl3\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16929"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16970,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16929\/revisions\/16970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}