There are fears that the climate action group Just Stop Oil may disrupt the London Pride parade today (Saturday, July 1) due to its headline sponsor.
United Airlines are the main sponsor of the event, and as a result, Just Stop Oil published an open letter on Twitter with a list of requests.
They included a call for clarity from Pride in London about who its sponsors are, making a statement demanding an end to new oil and gas, and setting up a meeting to discuss joining the civil resistance against climate change.
Following that they added: "We will wait 24 hours, as of 4pm today (June 28), for Pride to respond to our demands and the actions Pride will take.
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 29, 2023
"Beyond this time or not meeting these demands will mean we may or may not take action at this weekend's events. Look forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks."
When is London Pride Parade taking place?
The London Pride Parade, which will be formed of more than 600 LGBT+ community groups, will start at 12pm today and is expected to wrap up around 6pm.
Alongside that events will also start from noon and a whole host of different speakers and performers are expected to take to the stages, with sets set to end in the early evening at 8pm.
The parade will set off from Hyde Park Corner whilst Just Stop Oil currently have a gathering planned at Parliament Square at the same time it begins.
"The irony where people protest and will have people protest against them, will not be lost on members of this wonderful community."@MayorofLondon speaks live from London Pride about fears Just Stop Oil will disrupt the six-hour long paradehttps://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 1, 2023
📺Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/MPEWlSA94q
When asked about the potential disruption London Mayor Sadiq Khan, speaking to Sky News, said: "I hope groups like Just Stop Oil who [may] want to protest against a parade will reflect whether they are helping the cause in encouraging more people to feel passionate about tackling climate change or whether they'll inadvertently drive people away."
How did Pride London respond to Just Stop Oil requests?
Pride in London issued the following statement on the issues raised: "What [they] say… is Pride in London welcomes a diverse array of sponsors who undergo vetting to ensure their alignment with our core values of visibility, unity, equality, and a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility…
“As one of the world’s leading airlines, United Airlines exemplifies a commitment to excellence in both service and sustainability.
“United Airlines’ corporate responsibility report is available publicly and addresses the topic of environmental sustainability. United Airlines’ environmental commitment is also available online.
“It goes on to say United Airlines is the first major US airline to invest in carbon capture, supporting the work of 1PointFive, who are building the world’s largest direct air capture facility.
“United Airlines has set a voluntary net zero target by 2050 and committed not to rely on the use of carbon offsets to reach that target. The company has also set commitments to release the percentage of sustainable fuels used."
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