Just Stop Oil targets UCL
Photo courtesy of Aidan Dennehy
Protestors from Just Stop Oil staged a demonstration on the Main Quad today, vandalizing the columns on the stairs and blocking foot traffic on campus.
Early in the afternoon, activists entered the Main Quad prompting a response from UCL’s security team. One protester, identified by a Just Stop Oil ‘X’ post as ‘Arthur’, rushed past security officers up the stairs outside the library and managed to spray orange paint across the columns and welcome posters. The post described him as “a student who cannot stand by while our Government sells his future for profit.”
The protester removed his sweatshirt to reveal a shirt with the slogan “JUST STOP OIL” while security guards detained him. He was heard shouting about the dangers posed by the oil industry to the planet.
Meanwhile, other activists were prevented from protesting in the Main Quad and instead did so outside the gates at the Gower Street entrance, resulting in its closure for multiple hours in the early afternoon. They displayed a banner with the message “STUDENTS VS OIL” while speaking on a megaphone about the dangers of climate change and the urgency with which they believe we should address it. Protestors offered speaking time to the onlookers, which at least one accepted.
Photo courtesy of Aidan Dennehy
Police officers responded at the request of UCL to manage the chaos. One officer was seen filming the vandalist with a camcorder while describing the scene, presumably to collect evidence which could be used against him if prosecuted. Others responded to the protestors at the Gower Street entrance, where a large crowd had formed to observe. One such eyewitness said that protestors here had their bags searched by the police.
Shortly after police arrived on the scene, ‘Arthur’ was arrested. One video shows the limp activist being carried down the stairs and towards North Cloisters by four officers.
Student reaction appeared mixed, with many expressing disagreement with the type of protest on display. Katie Taylor, a first year Politics and Sociology student at SSEES, said “UCL seemed like a random target” and felt that “students seemed very hesitant to join in and were more interested in the police presence than the protest.”
The demonstration took place on Just Stop Oil’s “third day of student resistance.” Universities such as Oxford and Exeter experienced similar types of protest over the last few days.