Documentary follows Just Stop Oil protesters facing abuse and arrest
“We, the Hated” follows Just Stop Oil protesters as they block roads and face abuse and physical attacks from angry drivers. The documentary shows the tension between activists’ claim that disruption is needed to confront the climate crisis and critics’ argument that their tactics alienate the public.
Filmmaker Rich Felgate records protests involving road blockades, people locking themselves together and the 2022 tomato-soup attack on Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”. Some activists are arrested and jailed, receiving what the article describes as the longest prison sentences in England for non-violent protest. The group sees Labour’s 2024 pledge to issue no new oil and gas licences as a victory; the film opens in UK cinemas on 30 October.
In short
- A documentary follows Just Stop Oil protests and public backlash.
- Activists face abuse, assaults, arrests and prison sentences.
- The film reaches UK cinemas on 30 October.
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The case for
Supporters argue that disruptive protest can draw attention to the climate crisis when routine campaigning fails to prompt action, and that peaceful civil disobedience may be justified by the urgency and scale of the threat. They may also see severe prison sentences for non-violent protesters as a disproportionate response that risks deterring legitimate dissent.
The case against
Critics argue that blocking roads and targeting famous artworks can inconvenience or endanger the public while making climate action less persuasive to people the movement needs to reach. They may regard arrests and prison sentences as a legitimate consequence when protest tactics break the law, even if they oppose physical abuse or attacks on protesters.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “We, the Hated review – standing up to be abused: behind the scenes with Just Stop Oil”.