Just Stop Oil target University of Bristol
The Queen's Building has been sprayed orange
Last updated 9th Oct 2023
A Just Stop Oil activist has been arrested after spraying a building orange at the University of Bristol.
The group says a student from the University of the West of England targeted the Queen's Building off Woodland Road at around midday, calling for academics to join a protest in London next month.
A Just Stop Oil student spokesperson said: "By propping up "business as usual" – and refusing to engage emotionally in what's coming for their students – our lecturers and universities are complicit in the wholesale destruction of our future.
"Put simply, they're f***ing us over.
"Business as usual means we won't enjoy any of the privileges they've had.
"No food, no family, no future.
"There will be no research on a dead planet, no lectures when we're fighting each other over our next meal...
"We know that if we act now, in solidarity with each other, then there's still a glimmer of hope to hang on to.
"Hope is our birthright and we refuse to give up on it.
"We call on every student, lecturer, and university employee to face reality, join our incredible community, and feel the power that comes with speaking the truth and acting together.
"The time is now."
The action comes after a September boasting record breaking temperatures, peaking 1.8 degrees celcius above the pre-industrial average, which scientists have called "gobsmacking".
Just Stop Oil add universities are continuing to invest in fossil fuels.
"A year after it pledged to divest from fossil fuels, Bristol University was the first in the UK to declare a climate emergency in 2019," a statement reads.
"However, it's come under fire in recent months for continuing to manage millions of pounds in student fees, research funding and staff salaries through Barclays Bank.
"As the seventh biggest funder of fossil fuels in the world, Barclays has poured more than $190bn (about £156bn) into the industry since the Paris Agreement."
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police says they have arrested one person on suspicion of criminal damage.
A University of Bristol spokesperson says the university "plays a key role" in environmental change.
“We know how important this is, not just to our staff and students, but to the whole world, which is why sustainability remains one of the central strands shaping the University's vision of the future," they said.
“We were the first university in the UK to declare a climate emergency in 2019, reaffirming our strong and positive commitment to take action on climate change and, a year later, in 2020 we completely divested from all investments in fossil fuel companies.
“All our partnerships undergo stringent due diligence checks and ethical review first, ensuring the University is using its expertise to influence positive change.
"We continue to actively engage with our major suppliers, including banks, to see where positive improvements and changes can be made.
“We respect our staff and students’ right to raise concerns about issues they feel strongly about in a lawful way, and we will continue to listen to and engage with their views, however we ask that these are discussed with us directly and through appropriate channels.”