Just Stop Oil protesters have parallels with the Suffragettes: Yorkshire Post Letters

Speaking not as a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil, which I am very much not, I think it important to understand why that young man did what he did.

I am not trying to excuse what he did, but merely cast some light on what went on.

He, and JSO, are appalled and frightened by the actions of the current Government in granting new oil and gas licences.

This is against the advice of Government advisers like the Climate Change Committee, international bodies like the International Energy Agency and the United Nations and a huge array of expert scientists.

The Government is ignoring that advice, and instead is promoting the line of oil companies, many of whom are donors to the Conservative Party.

All legitimate avenues to challenge this are not succeeding.

What do you do when the powerful hijack governance?

The Suffragettes used direct action like this to gain publicity. One was killed by the King’s horse to bring the issue of votes for women into the public gaze. This is similar.

It seems a senseless act to spoil the enjoyment of many people, but underneath it is a young man doing something desperate in order to shine a light on something horrific.

The fact is that if the Government took the advice of its key advisers and withdrew these licences Just Stop Oil would disband tomorrow.

That’s the simple truth.

I am not a member of JSO, take no responsibility for their actions and am not pleading their case. I’m just saying what I think is happening.

I suspect I will get a backlash, but so be it.

Make of it what you will.