Hollywood director bankrolling Just Stop Oil pledges to TRIPLE any donations made to the eco-zealot group over two days
- Adam McKay has said he would match any funds given to the protest group
- Protesters were seen in the north and west of the capital earlier this morning
- Blocked traffic on Finchley Road in north-west London and on Marylebone Road
An American Oscar winning director has pledged to triple any donations made to eco-activists Just Stop Oil in the next two days.
Hollywood director Adam McKay, who made the hit environmental film ‘Don’t Look Up’ staring Leonardo Di Caprio, said he would match any funds given to the protest group by three times as much.
The Los Angeles-based producer, who also directed and co-wrote the Big Short that chronicled the subprime mortgage crisis in America, said the clock started this morning to pledge cash to the British campaigners.
He is also one of a group of multi-millionaires behind the Climate Emergency Fund that raises cash from wealthy supporters to fund activists, including nearly £1million already donated to Just Stop Oil.
Mr McKay, 55, said: ‘The scientific reality is we will hit 1.5C global warming in the next 18-24 months which should greatly alarm each and every person on this planet.
Hollywood director Adam McKay, has said he would match any funds given to Just Stop Oil by three times as much
READ MORE: Just Stopped! Anti-oil protesters get more than they bargain for when they try to halt Twickenham rugby final as they are bundled off pitch
Sale Sharks player, Tom Curry gave the stewards a hand as they unceremoniously hauled one of the protesters off the pitch
‘I stand with those taking action to defend the climate to wake up the world’s sleeping governments to the terrifying scale of the catastrophe we are now living through.’
On Wednesday Ecotricity founder and Labour Party donor, Dale Vince, also pledged to double any donations for a 48-hour period. He raised £173,000 in donations through a crowdfunder site.
However Mr McKay was accused by Gareth Johnson, the Tory MP for Dartford, of hypocrisy over his lavish holiday home in Ireland – 5,000 miles from his Los Angeles base.
Mr Johnson said having Hollywood stars helping to disrupt the lives of hard-working Britons damaged their cause.
‘It’s ironic that these people say that they want to help the planet while at the same time one of them appears to be harming it with travel to a holiday home thousands of miles away from where he lives.
‘I’m sure these multi-millionaires wouldn’t like their travel plans disrupted but they are only too happy to have the travel plans or ordinary people disrupted, he said.
It comes as earlier today, a furious workman confronted Just Stop Oil protesters today as they continued their slow marching campaign of disruption in the capital.
Responding to a protester who said ‘people can’t pay their bills’ amid the cost of living crisis, the man shouted ‘people can pay their bills if they can get to work!’ as he confronted the group on Marylebone Road in the centre of the capital.
Just Stop Oil protesters caused further disruption today as they blocked traffic in London, a day after they held up the England cricket team on the way to Lord’s. Above: Protesters on Finchley Road, north-west London this morning
Other eco-zealots from the group were pictured speaking to an ambulance driver in Marylebone in the centre of the capital. It is unclear if they were preventing the paramedic from passing or if they let the emergency vehicle through their blockade
He then told one of them to ‘run yourself over’ as they continued to walk slowly down the road.
Pictures also showed protesters on the road speaking to an ambulance driver, as other members of the group blocked traffic on the Finchley Road in north-west London.
The Metropolitan Police said later this morning that the protesters moved off Marylebone Road after being issued with conditions under the Public Order Act.
It comes after they blocked the England cricket team’s bus in Kensington Gore, south London yesterday as part of a wave of protests that hit the capital.
Batter and wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow said on Instagram: ‘If we are a bit late it is not our fault.’
Elsewhere yesterday, the group held up traffic in Wandsworth, Chelsea Bridge, Southwark, Waterloo and Kensington.
They began their protest at 8am, with 50 demonstrators holding up traffic by slowly marching on roads around Hyde Park and Battersea Park.
Around 30 minutes later, four protesters walked in front of the England cricket team coach as it headed to Lord’s for the team’s test match against Ireland.
The group insisted they had not deliberately delayed the bus, which was held up for 15 minutes but still arrived at Lord’s in time for the start of play at 11am.
A driver of a Range Rover is seen driving on the pavement as they try to avoid Just Stop oil protesters
A man confronts Just Stop Oil protesters on Marylebone Road in the centre of the capital this morning
After a protester had said through a loud hailer that ‘people are unable to pay their bills’, the man responded: ‘People can pay their bills if they can get to work’
Just Stop Oil protesters are seen blocking traffic in London this morning as they continue their campaign of disruption
A police officer speaks to Just Stop Oil climate activists marching in London today
A spokesman for the group said on Twitter: ‘Just Stop Oil supporters march in Kensington and Battersea. And apparently that’s the England cricket team bus.
‘They might know a bit about a batting collapse, but the climate crisis is no one-day international – it’s our biggest test.’
Protesters in Battersea were confronted by a furious passer-by, who accused them of being benefits scroungers and told them to ‘get a job’.
Posting the clip of the man confronting protesters, Just Stop Oil said: ‘ROAD RAGE: Posh man shouts in faces of students telling them to get a job while he has a nice walk around Battersea.
‘He’s right though. Some aren’t contributing to society. Pushing up our energy bills. Blocking renewable power. Criminalising protest. @Conservatives.’
The clip showed the man walking backwards and forwards through the group of protesters, treading over their banners as they allow him through.
He said: ‘I am free to walk here. I’m not assaulting people, I’m free to walk here.’
As he changed direction to continue crossing the path of the activists he added: ‘I’m walking here. Now I’m walking here.’
He then shouted: ‘[Why do] you have the right to destroy other people’s lives?’
The Just Stop Oil member filming the interaction then asks the man to speak to him, but the member of the public simply carried on, yelling: ‘I am so appalled by your behaviour.
‘Get a job. Stop claiming benefits. Go and get a job!’
Confronting the man filming, the member of the public then said: ‘You can get a job too. Pay your taxes like everyone else, come on.’
The man was accused by protest organisers of ‘pushing young people’, to which he responded: ‘I am not pushing them, I am telling the [students] to go home and get a job.’
It comes after they blocked the England cricket team’s bus in Kensington Gore, south London yesterday as part of a wave of protests that hit the capital
Protesters in Battersea were confronted yesterday by a furious passer-by, who accused them of being benefits scroungers and told them to ‘get a job’
The furious man repeatedly walked through the line of Just Stop Oil activists
A member of the public appears to push a Just Stop Oil protester over in front of a stationary London bus yesterday
At the end of the video, the man was heard yelling: ‘All of these people are taking from society. Not one of these people is contributing towards society!’
Elsewhere, another member of the public was pictured appearing to shove a Just Stop Oil protest over and into the path of a stationary truck.
JSO has recently targeted the Chelsea Flower Show as well as other sporting events such as the Premiership Rugby Final and the World Snooker Championship last month.
Yesterday the Metropolitan Police were pictured dragging them out of the roads.
Earlier this week the Mail exposed green energy tycoon Dale Vince as JSO’s main financial backer.
The group claims to have received more than £100,000 in donations since yesterday.
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