‘Police need to get a BACKBONE’: Met Police spark FURY as they stroll alongside Just Stop Oil mob and give thumbs-up to activists closing busy south London road with ANOTHER slow march
- Around 15 protesters flanked by police officers slow-marched through streets
- Exasperated van driver was seen sticking his two fingers up at the activists
- Another told police to ‘get a backbone’ as group blocked three lanes of traffic
Angry motorists told police they ‘need to get a backbone’ as officers strolled alongside Just Stop Oil protesters while they closed a busy south London road with another slow-march on Tuesday morning.
At around 8am, 15 Just Stop Oil activists walked onto the road at the Bricklayers Arms roundabout near the Old Kent Road, much to the chagrin of motorists who were forced to crawl behind the group as rush-hour traffic came to a standstill.
One exasperated van driver was seen sticking his two fingers up at protesters while another furious motorist near the front of the blockade repeatedly sounded his horn, prompting an officer to tell him to ‘pack it in’.
At around 8am on Tuesday, 15 eco-protesters walked onto the road at Bricklayers Arms roundabout near the Old Kent Road
One exasperated van driver was seen sticking his two fingers up at protesters as traffic came to a standstill
The march continued through South London, followed by at least three police vans as the group blocked three lanes of traffic.
Meanwhile, people took to social media to blast the police, saying to get Salt Bae’s waitresses to ‘sort the soap dodgers’ after staff at the exclusive London restaurant manually removed Animal Rebellion activists from a peaceful protest on Saturday.
Just Stop Oil appears to have changed tactics recently, with supporters walking slowly in the road rather than stopping traffic entirely.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said of Tuesday’s action: ‘There was some disruption to traffic in the area around Old Kent Road this morning due to protesters walking slowly in the road.
People took to social media to blast the police, saying to get Salt Bae’s waitresses to ‘sort the soap dodgers’ after staff at the exclusive London restaurant manually removed Animal Rebellion activists from a peaceful protest on Saturday
Staff from Salt Bae’s Knightsbridge steakhouse, remove an environmental activist during a protest by demonstrators from Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion
London restaurant staff manually remove Animal Rebellion activists from a peaceful protest
‘The disruption was intermittent, with the group alternating between walking eastbound and westbound and coming off the road entirely.
‘We are alert to these new JSO tactics. Officers will intervene where serious disruption is being caused.’
The action follows a protest on Saturday which saw activists tucking themselves into a bed on display in luxury shop Harrods in a demonstration against fuel poverty.
The group is demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.
One protester, Margaret Reid, 51, who spent seven weeks in prison for taking action with Just Stop Oil, said: ‘We are in a climate emergency right now.
‘We no longer have the luxury of delay and indecision – that time is over.’
Just Stop Oil protesters slow-marched through the streets of south London on Tuesday morning, causing traffic disruption
Just Stop Oil protests have caused significant disruption in recent months, frustrating members of the public and prompting tough talk from politicians, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman dubbing them ‘extremists’.
Earlier this month, police chiefs attended a summit at Downing Street to discuss how to deal with them.
Policing the protests has so far cost the force around £5.5 million, according to the Met Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist.
This week sees the continuation of court hearings for the Just Stop Oil supporters arrested as part of the four days of action on the M25 during November.
A total of 17 supporters including nine currently on remand are due to appear at Southwark Crown Court today.
Since the group launched their month of ‘civil disobedience’ throughout October, more than 700 people have been arrested and nearly 200 charged over the action.
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