Met Police poised for more Just Stop Oil mayhem TODAY: Scotland Yard says its officers are ‘fully prepared’ to tackle activists plotting new two-week campaign of chaos on the roads
- Just Stop Oil said to be planning fresh action on roads during Monday rush hour
- Anti-fossil fuel campaigners aiming to cause ‘maximum disruption’ to road users
- Group plans to march, ‘as slowly as possible, from key roundabouts’ in London
The Met Police say they are ready to tackle eco-zealots planning to ‘swarm and block’ roundabouts in a fresh wave of action targeting road users in rush hour.
Just Stop Oil protesters have been holding up drivers on various roads for months, including the M25 over recent weeks, and will now target London’s major roundabouts.
The anti-fossil fuel campaigners are aiming to cause ‘maximum disruption’ to road users with the new tactic.
The group plans to march, ‘as slowly as possible, from key roundabouts, in multiple teams and timed phases’.
Just Stop Oil protesters have been holding up drivers on various roads for months, and now plan to target London’s major roundabouts
An activist puts up a banner reading ‘Just Stop Oil’ on an electronic traffic sign along M25
Unlike previous protests, which have seen the environmental campaigners sitting in front of cars on busy roads to stop traffic, the planned action will allow traffic to move very slowly behind each march.
The group believes that this new method of demonstrating will be ‘non-injunction breaking and will aim to be non-arrestable’.
The change of tack, it hopes, means police will be faced with ‘a dilemma’ over whether to allow a ‘legal protest march’ or threaten to arrest protesters, who would still be allowing drivers to progress in their journeys.
Met Police boss, Commander Karen Findlay, said the force is ‘fully prepared’ to deal with the anticipated disruption.
As well as blocking roads, the eco warriors made headlines targeting artwork, including throwing Heinz tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
It comes as sources told the Mail on Sunday that Rishi Sunak has increasingly expressed his frustration in government meetings about the ‘disruption to law-abiding citizens’ everyday lives’.
Mr Sunak has reportedly told Home Secretary Suella Braverman to convene a meeting with police chiefs at Downing Street to ‘set out the Government’s expectations that the police must fully enforce the law’.
A total of 62 people have been charged over M25 protests since March, of which 29 were remanded in custody.
More than 11,000 Metropolitan Police officer shifts have been dedicated to anti-JSO operations.
Last month saw a sustained campaign by JSO, involving daily action, in what it described as the ‘biggest ever civil disobedience campaign’.
As well as blocking roads, the eco warriors made headlines targeting artwork, including throwing Heinz tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
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