Just Stop Oil: Activism or Vandalism?

By Vivian Pham, Staff Writer

On October 14 at the Nation Gallery in London, two environmental activists were reported to throw canned soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. After the scandalous act, both young activists took off their jackets, revealed to be members of the Just Stop Oil organization. They then glued themselves to the wall beneath the painting, and proceeded to give out a speech about environmental awareness.

“What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” said one of the activists, Phoebe Plummer, from London. Accompanied with her was Anna Holland, from Newcastle.

The two activists were arrested shortly after. Fortunately, according to the gallery, the painting was confirmed to remain unharmed, although minor damage was detected on the external frame.

What exactly is Just Stop Oil? And what is its purpose? On their official website, Just Stop Oil claimed to be “a coalition of groups working together to ensure that the government commits to ending all new licenses and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.” This group of environmental activists aimed to put a stop to global warming and prevent the UK government from fossil fuel production. Even though the message they tried to deliver is reasonable and aligns with most environmental activist groups, their way of delivering is usually controversial, which receives negative responses from the public and mass media. Prior to the scandalous soup throwing, the group staged a sit-down protest around London, infuriating drivers and commuters for disrupting traffic during rush hours. Subsequently, the scandalous act at the National Gallery proved to escalate its tactics.

One of the spokespersons of Just Stop Oil, Alex de Koning, spoke with several reporters outside of the National Gallery shortly after the soup throwing incident, “…this is not The X Factor. We are not trying to make friends here, we are trying to make change, and unfortunately this is the way that change happens.”

Additionally, Just Stop Oil publicly claimed to receive funding from Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) – a U.S. network set up in 2019 to fund climate activism. Ironically, CEF turned out to be part-funded by Aileen Getty, a U.S. philanthropist whose grandfather was the founder of Getty Oil petroleum company, J. Paul Getty. Needless to say, it is not always the case that the heirs of these petroleum multimillion dollar fortunes have no intention to overcome the damage caused by their predecessors. CEF is said to financially contribute for numerous environmental activist organizations. Nevertheless, critics fear that the elites might utilize these activist groups for tax evasion or tax-related purposes. 

Activism for Introverts

Photo source: spiritedwellbeing.com

By: Allison Upchurch, Staff Reporter

This Monday, November 5, Regis’ annual Social Justice Week kicked off with the first event called “Activism for Introverts”. During this event, a group of Regis students came together to have an open conversation about how someone who identifies as an introvert can get involved in the demanding work of activism. The discussion was led by Regis student Isaiah Pramuk who based this event off a workshop of the same name at a conference he had previously attended.

To start off the discussion, the group focused on sharing life experiences and stories that all had the goal of unpacking what it means to be identified as an introvert. A general consensus* among the group was that those who identify as an introvert tend to step away after spending time in groups of people to recharge their energy levels and center themselves again. Another general consensus was that an introvert is observant and more likely to want to listen and process instead of facilitating a conversation.

“We often establish the bounds of introversion by looking at extroversion,” Pramuck shared with the group, commenting on how he had observed that most of the other people involved in activism work tended to be more outgoing and willing to engage in dialogue in a large group environment.

This led into the discussion of how these characteristics of an introvert can enhance the process of activism while balancing the need to manage emotional output and process the conversations of whatever issue is on the table. The group discussed how work in activism for introverts is geared towards the behind-the-scene work like doing data research that is just as fulfilling as standing up in front of a crowd with a megaphone.

“I make a newsletter,” one participant shared about her activism experience. “And I feel that is just as effective as going around and telling people stuff but it’s not as draining, and it still gets the message across.”

Work like this in activism tends to play to the strengths of an introvert, such as the ability to actively listening to others and understanding, assess a situation without being too rash, and address fundamental factors that may be overlooked in the big picture.

“Having the capability to recognize and have conversations about these things really allows us to stay not only in touch with ourselves but in touch with each other,” Pramuk offered. He continued, explaining introverts are able “to support each other because it is something that requires support and we are uniquely capable of supporting each other”

At the conclusion of the discussion, the group was offered generalized tips that can be employed by introverts in activism such as recognizing that no one is alone and that many people go through similar experiences of introversion. Another tip was to be mindful of the importance of self-care and the need for one to draw back every now and then to maintain a healthy emotional balance of work and personal time.

*Author’s Note – Everyone experiences introversion in a different way and should not feel limited to defining an introvert on these discussions and assumptions alone.