Is Just Stop Oil Funded By Big Oil?

How likely is it that Just Stop Oil is actually funded by Big Oil?

Just Stop Oil, the British-based environmental activist group that believes vandalizing paintings and structures will somehow stop climate change, has recently become the center of an ironic theory: They are actually funded by Big Oil. It sounds crazy at first, but maybe people are onto something.

On Wednesday, Just Stop Oil protesters covered Stonehenge in orange paint to demand the next UK government end oil, gas, and coal extraction by 2030. Protesters from the organization threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in 2022 and again vandalized a Velazquez Venus painting at the same location a year later.

Yet these acts of protest only brought in bad publicity, almost as though it was done on purpose. Whenever the big brains at Just Stop Oil came up with the genius idea to destroy art, people naturally turned against them and their cause. Now, social media users theorize that maybe that’s what they’re trying to do. And is it that hard to believe when all they do is vandalize monuments and art instead of targeting a Big Oil company’s building or office?

Why Just Stop Oil Is Speculated To Be a Psyop by Big Oil Companies

On June 19, the organization clarified that the paint they used on Stonehenge was orange cornflour, which would wash away with rain, but that the “urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not.”

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling responded to their post, stating, “Public opinion’s definitely moving, mostly towards the conclusion that you’re funded by Big Oil.”

In another tweet, she mocked Just Stop Oil and wrote, “Let’s not target anyone or anything remotely responsible for climate change. Let’s attack a unique ancient monument to which everyone’s hugely attached, incidentally endangering rare lichen that only grows there.”

Aileen Getty and Just Stop Oil

Social media sleuths discovered that Just Stop Oil was funded by Aileen Getty, the granddaughter of Jean Paul Getty, who founded the Getty Oil Company. Aileen co-founded the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), which has distributed over $4 million to environmental activist organizations — including Just Stop Oil.

The Gettys have also donated millions to the National Gallery, where Just Stop Oil has previously vandalized paintings. Coincidence?

However, Aileen herself has stated that she is to use her resources “to protect life on Earth,” in contrast to her family’s past involvement. It’s also important to note that, according to sources, the heiress has not personally worked in the oil industry.

Regardless, many believe that Big Oil companies are staging events to reach the following goals:

• To force the government to crack down on legitimate protests regarding climate change, wars, and more.
• To attract climate change activists to a false operation that hardly makes any attempts to stop Big Oil and keep them away from legitimate organizations.
• The movement vandalizes art and historic sites on purpose to give a bad name to climate change activism, leading people to be less inclined to support green policies. In the process, fossil fuel supporters are also validated.
• Redditors believe Aileen Getty is seemingly using Just Stop Oil for tax cuts.

Is Big Oil trying to discredit its enemies? Considering that Just Stop Oil is doing everything from ruining paintings to blocking roads — except stopping Big Oil — maybe it’s not that far-fetched after all.