Crowdfunder, the UK’s largest crowdfunding platform, has closed the account of climate activist group Just Stop Oil, saying it was “no longer compliant with its terms of use” after a string of vandalism.
Just Stop Oil’s crowdfunder closed on Friday, saying it had raised over £78,000 from 535 backers in 242 days.
“After peacefully resisting this government genocidal plot, our crowdfunding has been withdrawn,” Just Stop Oil claimed. twitter.
News that the activist has been arrested after throwing canned soup at one of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous paintings in London’s National Gallery follows.
After throwing two cans of Heinz Tomato Soup over the 1888 painting “Sunflowers” shortly after 11 a.m. on Friday, they knelt in front of the painting and appeared to have their hands glued to the wall below.
One of the activists, 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer from London, said in front of the painting: Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice? Are you more concerned with protecting paintings or protecting the planet and people? The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of the oil crisis. “
On the same day, activists Metpolis new scotland yard sign with yellow paint.
“If they are legal and compliant”
On Monday, Crowdfunder co-founder and director Dawn Bébe told the Epoch Times in an email that “Just Stop Oil has been shut down because it no longer complies with our terms of service.”
Crowdfunder is the number one crowdfunding platform in the UK. Bébe said he has raised over £4.2m for green and sustainability projects across the UK. She did not specify which terms of service were violated.
“Our project owners are a passionate group of people who aim to tackle society’s biggest challenges by turning ideas into reality. ,” she said.
“That is why some of our biggest projects provoke the biggest public debates. There has been noise all over the media and both sides have strong arguments on their side of the debate,” she said.
“Important Crowdfunder projects are supported by interested communities. We recognize that some projects may be subject to public debate, but are legal and follow guidelines. If so, ultimately the crowd will decide whether to receive the funds,” she added.
“Although Just Stop Oil has closed for non-compliance with our terms of service, we welcome projects aimed at protecting the planet and the environment,” Bebe said.
The disruption is part of Just Stop Oil’s ‘October Uprising’, which calls on the government to begin a process of phasing out fossil fuel production in the country.
Crowdfunding has been discontinued, but Just Stop Oil is backed by wealthy families descended from oil tycoons.
A spin-off from Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil is funded by the Climate Emergency Fund. The Climate Emergency Fund itself is funded by the Getty and Rockefeller family oil heirs, her Aileen Getty, Rebecca Rockefeller Lambert, and Peter Gill Case.
The Climate Emergency Fund has awarded millions of dollars to an international network of activists in what they call “the destructive arm of the global climate movement.”
A spokeswoman for Just Stop Oil told the Epoch Times that it “doesn’t know” exactly why it was removed from crowdfunding.
Alexander Zhang contributed to this report.
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Owen Evans is a UK-based journalist with a particular interest in civil liberties and free speech, covering stories from a wide variety of countries.