Climate activists climbed gantries over London’s orbital motorway Monday morning, triggering road closures and massive traffic that was not cleared until officers had carried protesters down to the ground, arresting 35 in all.
Just Stop Oil, one of a growing constellation of hard-left eco groups using direct action to amplify their radical views on green politics again launched an action Monday morning when they shut down the M25, the main orbital road around London with a series of stunts. Protesters from the group climbed gantries over the motorway and hung banners, prompting police to shut down roads and order traffic go-slows until the protesters could be safely removed.
Indigo Rumblelow, 28, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil from London said:
“What did you expect? This Government is complicit in an illegal & unconstitutional plan to issue more licences and consents for new oil & gas — a plan that will take the world over 1.5°C…#COP27 #M25 pic.twitter.com/RzKoVCKcoO
— Just Stop Oil ⚖️Ὀ (@JustStop_Oil) November 7, 2022
Protests took place at 13 points on the orbital road, with some protestors refusing to cooperate with officers and having to be bodily removed from the infrastructure. The Metropolitan Police said they and neighbouring forces had made 35 arrests over the past three days over the disruption, including eight people in advance of the protest happening, “for conspiracy to cause public nuisance”, and nine people for a separate road blockage on Saturday.
Those arrests may have been in response to Just Stop Oil themselves telling the police in advance that they intended to protest the M25 today. Police emphasised the strain on resources the Just Stop Oil protests were causing, with Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist remarking: “Since the start of October we have used more than 10,000 officer shifts to police Just Stop Oil protests. These are officers who would otherwise be dealing with issues that matter to local communities, such as knife crime, safeguarding and responding to burglaries.”
Making the force’s broader views on the scale of the protests known, Twist remarked: “this isn’t protest, this is criminality where people are taking extremely hazardous steps disrupting the M25. This action is grossly disproportionate to any legitimate aim that this group may have. This is criminality and we’ll treat it as such.”
Officers are on the scene and currently dealing with one protester who has climbed onto the motorway gantry at junction 6 towards 7 of the M25 this morning (7 November). Traffic is still moving at this moment.
Updates to follow on our social media. 👇 pic.twitter.com/HKq5DNjQ5O
— Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) November 7, 2022
As the BBC notes, a High Court Injunction was issued against protesting on the M25 orbital motorway only yesterday, meaning those who went ahead with the anticipated protest could find themselves being in contempt of court. The state broadcaster reports the punishment for this could be “imprisonment, an unlimited fine and seizure of assets.”
The United Kingdom — and particularly London — has seen weeks of Just Stop Oil protests, with roads blocked and landmarks attacked by the group. Activists shot to public attention with a series of stunts attacking notable works of art in public galleries and even throwing cake at a waxwork model of King Charles III. Seeming to reward the activist for the stunt, one of the soup-throwing protesters who attacked Van Gough’s sunflowers at the National Gallery has since been invited on state broadcaster the BBC to give her opinions on the matters of the day.
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