Police took charge for Oil Protest London

Oil Protest London

London has been a hotbed for oil protests (Oil Protest London) over the last few days. A coalition of groups has come together to disrupt central London; demanding a halt to new gas and oil consents. Just Stop Oil, the UK’s largest environmental group, has been a prominent supporter of the protests.

The coalition of environmental groups aims to force the government to take action to address global warming. The protesters are asking for a moratorium on new oil projects and an end to fossil fuel exploration. Activists with Just Stop Oil have been blocking roads in Westminster for nine days. They’ve been causing massive traffic chaos and sparked several arrests in the process.

Serious Consequences of London Oil Protest

The police have arrested dozens of protesters, including many of the activists from Just Stop Oil. Some of them have been arrested for willful obstruction of the highway. They were held in custody by various police stations in London. Protesters blocked traffic in Westminster and marched toward Parliament Square, chanting, “No new oil!” While others glued themselves to the road to prevent traffic.

Police have arrested 54 protesters and taken them to various police stations on suspicion of willful obstruction. Another 28 were taken into custody in central London on Sunday. The government has not commented on the incident. The protesters are being held on suspicion of willful obstruction of the highway and have been escorted to central London custody suites. The protesters’ arrests are expected to continue throughout the day. London has been a hotbed for oil protests over the last few days. A coalition of groups has come together to disrupt central London, demanding a halt to new gas and oil consents. Just Stop Oil, the UK’s largest environmental group, has been a prominent supporter of the protests.

London Oil Protest: Protesters vs Civilians and Police

• A stuck Westminster City Council binman shouted for London oil protest: ‘You’ve got nothing better to do, get a job, you mugs, come on it’s enough, we’re just the f *** ing workers, you clowns, f *** ing idiots, you just sit there like a bunch of lemons.’
• The traffic chaos, which began at about 10am and involved 32 of the group’s activists, led to drivers getting out of their cars and angrily remonstrating with the protesters – some of whom had glued themselves to the road.
• One taxi driver was filmed saying: ‘How do I pay my bills? I’ve got one of these, an electric taxi. I paid ₤ 70,000 for that. I’m doing my bit, so why do you stop me?’ The activist’s answer could not be heard, but the driver replied: ‘What you’re asking for is years and years and years away, it won’t happen overnight. How stupid are you?’
• A woman with the activists then said: ‘We’ve got eight years of reserves of oil already, we don’t need more, we don’t need to take more.’ But the man said: ‘Yeah, you can’t do this – and it doesn’t happen overnight, does it?’
• After police had arrived on the scene, a liaison officer told the group: ‘Are you intending to stay here until you get removed by officers and arrested?’ A woman replied: ‘Yes, or you can get them to stop new oil licenses.’
• The police officer calmly continued: ‘I can’t do anything about that, but what I can ask you to do is ask you to move out of the road and protest in a more safe and appropriate location. Is anyone willing to do that?’
• One man filmed another police officer as he confronted her about the protesters sitting in the road. She told him: ‘I don’t appreciate you shouting at me right now.’ He replied: ‘I’m not shouting, no, we’re not going to do that, my love, please, handle your business, handle your business, my love.’ The officer replied: ‘We are, we’re here.’
• The junction is a major traffic interchange for those driving in or out of Central London to and from the west of the city, and is located close to the Harrods department store, Knightsbridge Underground station and Hyde Park.
• The van driver’s identity is not known, but his vehicle carried the branding of Archers, a design and manufacturing facility for signage based in Isle worth, West London. Mainline has contacted the company for comment for the act of against this London oil protest.
• Some 309 Just Stop Oil demonstrators are thought to have been arrested over the ten days up to and including yesterday, and the group claimed there had been more than 1,500 arrests since its campaign began on April 1.
• After ambulances and fire engines struggled to get through, Number 10 deplored any disruption to the emergency services’ work. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘These sorts of protests that disrupt peoples’ daily lives or, indeed, can stop our emergency services from potentially saving lives are unacceptable.
• ‘ That’s why we’ve already toughened powers for the police, we’ve given them new powers to act and we are also taking further powers through the House at the moment to ensure they can go even further in preventing these individuals from disrupting peoples’ lives.’
• Asked about the PM’s view on people intervening to drag protesters off roads, he added: ‘We can understand the public’s frustration with their lives being disrupted in this way. { But clearly it is for the police to respond in the first instance to these sorts of protests and this sort of disruption and that’s what we ‘d recommend.’ | Clearly it is for the police to respond in the first instance to these sorts of protests and this sort of disruption and that’s what we ‘d recommend.’ }
• { But Just Stop Oil – which normally has a policy of letting through the emergency services – also tweeted a video showing protesters moving out of the way of a fire engine, saying they had ‘paused’ the roadblock for the vehicle. | Just Stop Oil – which normally has a policy of letting through the emergency services – also tweeted a video showing protesters moving out of the way of a fire engine, saying they had ‘paused’ the roadblock for the vehicle. }
• And one woman watching the activists said: ‘It’s really amazing work, and they are so brave for being out here with cars coming at them, especially, and cars, yeah, willing to stay there for everyone else and it’s really nice work.’
• Just Stop Oil put out a press release about the action this morning, quoting Holly Exley, 34, a freelance illustrator from Bristol, who said: ‘The reality is that there can be no new oil and gas if we want a safe future, but the UK government wants to extract and sell ‘every last drop’ from the North Sea.
• ‘ Their plans will make climate breakdown, mass suffering and loss of life inevitable unless good people rise up and resist. { Right now a very small group of people are making huge sacrifices, risking their wellbeing and their liberty to resist new oil and gas. | Now a very small group of people are making huge sacrifices, risking their wellbeing and their liberty to resist new oil and gas. } It’s time for everyone to stand up and pick a side.’
• Naomi Goddard, 58, a parish clerk from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, said: ‘I work in a conservative, law-abiding profession so the decision to take direct action with Just Stop Oil was not an easy one for oil protest London.
• ‘ The reality is that we have less than three years to avoid climate catastrophe, but our government is failing to act and now Liz Truss is planning to grant over 100 new fossil fuel licenses rather than encouraging renewable energy.
• ‘ I just couldn’t keep my eyes tight shut against what was happening any longer. I know that I risk losing my freedom, my job and my friends by doing this but I also know deep in my heart that taking action at this time is absolutely the right thing to do.’
• Graham Lowe, 68, an artist and art tutor from Lancaster, said: ‘I have no choice but to resist, this government is once again putting profit before people.
• ‘ After a summer of global drought, record temperatures and millions made homeless by unprecedented floods in Pakistan, we have to stand up to the government and say no to new fossil fuels. There is no greater threat to the wellbeing of billions of people than complacency at this time of London Oil Protest. ‘
• And Kathy Dolan, 48, a council worker from Trafford in Greater Manchester, said: ‘I can’t stand by while our government chooses destructive self-interest over a livable future, and, for the global south, a livable present. We’re out of time. I will resist, my conscience won’t let me do anything else.’
• A Just Stop oil spokesman said today: ‘This is not a one day event, this is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project.
• ‘ Our supporters will be returning – today, tomorrow and the next day – and the next day after that – and every day until our demand is met: no new oil and gas in the UK.
• ‘ We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people. Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.’
• It comes after about 25 activists were arrested by police yesterday following a blockade of The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, with the disruption lasting just over two hours before they were eventually all removed.
• A further eight protesters were arrested after carrying out sit-down oil protest London outside Downing Street yesterday.
• A Metropolitan Police spokesman said of the 33 people arrested: ‘All were arrested for willful obstruction of the highway and have been taken to a number of custody suites where they remain at the moment.’
• One taxi driver was filmed saying: ‘How do I pay my bills? I’ve got one of these, an electric taxi. Now a very small group of people are making huge sacrifices, risking their wellbeing and their liberty to resist new oil and gas. I just couldn’t keep my eyes tight shut against what was happening any longer. And Kathy Dolan, 48, a council worker from Trafford in Greater Manchester, said: ‘I can’t stand by while our government chooses destructive self-interest over a livable future, and, for the global south, a livable present.