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JUST STOP OIL have said they were not responsible for throwing orange confetti over former Tory chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne at his wedding yesterday.
Osborne and his wife Thea Rogers were strewn with the confetti by a woman following their marriage ceremony in England.
The group had initially praised the act but JSO spokesperson James Skeet confirmed that the woman who threw the confetti was not a member of the group.
He told the PA news agency: “Unfortunately, we can’t claim credit for the orange confetti on this one, but we wish the happy couple well.”
Skeet added: “I neither condemn nor praise it. I don’t know who that lady is.”
You look good in orange @George_Osborne — congratulations to the newlyweds. pic.twitter.com/LARxEoraU2
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) July 8, 2023
Asked whether the group welcomed outside protesters taking similar action to JSO, the spokesman said: “As a policy, Just Stop Oil is always accountable for our actions. You will know it is us because we will admit to it.
“The fact that we were vague last night implies that it wasn’t really us.
“If orange confetti is the symbol of the revolution then so be it, but obviously you can always guarantee that we will be accountable for any actions that we undertake.”
In a tweet today, the group, referring to “confettigate”, said: “The lady who threw confetti in Bruton yesterday was upholding a tradition that is common across many cultures.
“We absolutely defend the right for people to throw confetti (of whatever colour) at weddings and other celebrations.
“If it was a form of protest — which is yet to be established — we applaud it and thank the person concerned. It was peaceful and not especially disruptive, but got massive media attention for Just Stop Oil’s demand.”
The group added: “However, as much as we applaud the use of orange confetti at this wedding, we were not responsible.”
Around 200 people, including a string of well-known UK politicians and journalists, attended Osborne’s wedding yesterday.
Among those attending were former UK prime minister David Cameron and his wife, former chancellor Sajid Javid and Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove.
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