Just Stop Oil protesters to stop targeting M25
Just Stop Oil supporters have protested on the motorway for four consecutive days this week.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Just Stop Oil (JSO) has said it is halting what it calls its campaign of civil resistance on the M25.
Over the last four days environmental activists have climbed gantries above the motorway, forcing it to close in several places.
In a statement the group said the move was to give the Government time to consider their responsibilities, adding: “We ask that the Prime Minister consider his statement at Cop27, where he spoke of the catastrophic threat posed by the ravages of global heating, the 33 million people displaced by floods in Pakistan, and the moral and economic imperative to honour our pledges.”
A police officer was injured during Wednesday’s protests.
Essex Police said there was a collision involving the police motorcyclist and two lorries during a rolling roadblock.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington warned it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed during a JSO protest.
On Friday, JSO said: “The supporters of Just Stop Oil are now the people upholding law and order and protecting civil society. Under British law, people in this country have a right to cause disruption to prevent greater harm — we will not stand by.”
Prime minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday his Government is “moving ahead” with legislation to give the police more powers to stop protests by groups such as JSO.
His comments came after Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge Ben Spencer said in the Commons that the M25 protests are “causing disruption and misery to my constituents, including causing problems of access to my local hospital”.
In his reply, Mr Sunak said “we are moving ahead with legislation to give the police the powers they need to stop this type of extremist protesting”.
JSO staged 32 days of disruption from the end of September and throughout October, which the Metropolitan Police said resulted in 677 arrests with 111 people charged, and officers working a total of 9,438 additional shifts.
According to JSO, its supporters have been arrested more than 2,000 times since its campaign began on April 1.