Kulturkampf

[benji]

Two YouTube pranksters disrupted a vegan banquet hosted by Just Stop Oil and unmasked themselves as the masterminds behind a counter-protest movement against the eco-activists.

Joshua Pieters and Archie Manners have claimed responsibility for the stunt at the Heritage and Arts Centre in Bow, east London, where Just Stop Oil threw a meal for its supporters on Sunday.

In a plot designed to sabotage the event, actors infiltrated the venue before setting off panic alarms, attached to helium-filled balloons, which blared out noise as they rose to the roof.

The incident was the second perpetrated by an emerging counter-protest movement, known as “Just Stop P---ing People Off”.

Counter-protesters first struck on Thursday when Just Stop Oil activists planning to protest in Elephant and Castle were blocked by rebel demonstrators who formed a human chain around them to stop them from slow marching.

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Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Manners claimed that the eco-activists were now “hated” by some who would describe themselves as environmentally conscious and left-wing.

He said he felt that Just Stop Oil “punches down”, adding that the final straw for him to take action was the “irksome” storming of the World Snooker Championships by two orange powder-waving activists.

“The one that really got me was the snooker – that was not an environmentally damaging activity, people had saved up quite a lot of money during the cost of living crisis and travelled to Sheffield to watch and the entire day was ruined,” he said.

The banquet, attended by senior Just Stop Oil figures, was advertised as a meal to discuss how “we’re beyond f----d” and how it was “a time to step back and grieve for what will die and disappear forever, but also to celebrate what we have achieved”.

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “We thoroughly enjoyed Josh & Archie’s prank yesterday. Great action design – nonviolent and ever so slightly disruptive.

“Their faith in democracy is touching, but the climate crisis needs urgent action today – we simply don’t have time to wait for a new government.”