Just Stop Oil offer protest pause if Met investigates UK Government for genocide
The activists said they have handed in evidence to officers at a meeting on Monday.
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Your support makes all the difference.Just Stop Oil (JSO) has offered to stop disruptive actions if the Met Police investigates the UK Government for “genocide by oblique intent”.
Its organisers said they are negotiating with the police and have handed in evidence during a meeting with officers on Monday.
The climate campaigners have been causing significant disruption to traffic in London by slow-marching along busy roads and have stopped big sporting events such as the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield after a protester jumped on the table and released a package of orange dye.
The Met said JSO has cost it nearly £20 million since its first campaign in October 2022 and that their actions have put “significant pressure” on policing in the capital.
Sarah Lunnon, one of JSO’s co-founders, said the UK Government is breaking international law by developing new oil and gas projects in the North Sea, arguing these actions will lead to the loss of human life.
We were clear that the disruptive nature of their protests has put significant pressure on the Met
She said: “Public order commander Karen Findlay requested a copy of our evidence and told us she will be taking this information to the commissioner and specialist operations – which covers genocide crimes.
“We have offered a pause on disruptive Just Stop Oil actions if this investigation is to go ahead. Negotiations are ongoing.”
JSO campaigner Eben Lazarus said the police should expect to see civil unrest if new oil and gas licences are granted and climate change destabilises society.
Scotland Yard has said time spent on policing JSO protests equated to about 300 officers a day being taken out of frontline policing across London.
More than 650 activists have been arrested since police were granted new powers in October under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, which allows the Met to arrest those who commit an act “which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales”.
A spokesperson for the Met said: “Public order officers welcomed the opportunity to meet with representatives from Just Stop Oil today. We ask to meet with all protest organisers, however JSO had declined our previous requests.
“We emphasised that the Met will remain impartial and operationally independent at all times in the policing of protest, and that it is not the responsibility of the police to direct Government policy or decision-making.
“We were clear that the disruptive nature of their protests has put significant pressure on the Met – both in taking officers away from policing communities across London and the impact on our budget.
“We also reminded organisers of their legal responsibility to notify us about any future protests in advance as this means we can plan our response and potentially reduce the number of officers who need to be deployed.”