A Just Stop Oil protest ended within seconds of stepping onto the road as police descended on them.

A Just Stop Oil protest ended within seconds of stepping onto the road as police descended on them and made multiple arrests.

Six protesters began the slow march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square in London at around 12.30pm today, with one of them immediately arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

The remaining five made it to Parliament Square, but were grabbed by police within seconds of entering the road to slow traffic.

A video shared online by the group shows officers surrounding the protesters and giving them warning, before dragging them out the road.

In a post on X that responded to the video, the Metropolitan Police said: "Officers made six arrests during this protest earlier today.

"Five under Section 7 of the Public Order Act and a sixth person was arrested for breaching bail conditions.

"We will continue to respond quickly, to prevent disruption to Londoners."

Just Stop Oil has labelled the Government "criminal" for not immediately halting all future licences and consents for fossil fuel exploration in the UK.

They say failing to do so "will bring about the wholesale destruction of ordered society and an end to the rule of law." ( JB adds- 'Says who ???' )

Activists were emboldened after the Netherlands committed to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies following 27 days of Extinction Rebellion protesters blocking part of the A12 motorway in the country - with over 9,000 arrests made throughout.

The climate change activist group say there have been 639 arrests of Just Stop Oil supporters since October 30, with nine in prison. Seven of which are awaiting trial.

But they recently mocked police for not being able to charge them at one protest as the green man was showing at a pedestrian crossing, giving them the right to walk across the road.

One supporter wrote: "No charge after Met Police get it wrong again. Unsurprisingly, those arrested at a pedestrian crossing were breaking no laws - not even the new anti-protest ones that Suella Braverman made up.

"Why are the police still arresting protesters? Do they think we'll just go away?"

The protesters in this case were released without charge.

Among those arrested today was Xandra Gilchrist, 72, a retired social worker, mum and grandma, from Leamington Spa, as well as Margaret Reid, 52, a shop assistant from Kendal.

Ms Reid said politicians will "destroy everything we love".She added: "I will not be silenced and I will not be intimidated."

Recently a UN chief slammed two sentences for Just Stop Oil supporters as "severe" in a letter to the Government.

Two activists who caused traffic gridlock at Dartford Crossing when they scaled the bridge and unfurled a banner must serve a total of five years after judges ruled their stunt had caused a public nuisance.

Morgan Trowland, 40, was sentenced to three years behind bars, and Marcus Decker, 34, was sentenced to two after they used wires to climb the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in October 2022.

The activist group point to a recent study which estimated that the average UK household food bill has increased by over £600 over the last two years as a result of the climate change emergency.

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Comments

John. I am having to cancel my weekend with you at the last minute as I was unable to get my Mother into her Care Home after a morning out with her on the day I was to come down to you as the streets were blocked with Just Stop Oil protesters and we sat there for - probably - an hour without going more than 100 yards and it caused me to be so late I missed my train and missed the whole weekend. I am now home, after wasting a whole afternoon because of these - urban terrorists.

Pete H.

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John: What with rail strikes and Just Stop Oil blocking roads in my area all the time I feel I am unable to muster myself down to your delightful venue until I can get a clear trip down. I was 45 minutes waiting to go 100 yards and was late for work on several occasions and the fury of the public was intense. Not a nice energy to be around but when stuck miles from your destination and the bus is going nowhere and I am disabled so cannot walk it - it just aggravates the public who do not feel sorry for them and their cause. They may be right, but abusing the public is not the way forward.

One day I will be down. Roger M.

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John, I invested a considerable fortune and covered my roof in solar panels. It actually generates all our electrical needs and we even earn some money selling the extra power back to the grid BUT the government cut down the amount we are paid for our electric put back into the grid and it makes it financially un worth while. There is no incentive at all. It will take around 20 years to repay the costs in installation etc. and although we do now get free electric - it does depend on the weather and cannot be guaranteed - and the more we switch on - the more fridges and electric cooking we use, the faster we use up our own power and still rely on the National Grid - especially in the winter months when its cold and the sun shines less.

Glen B.

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John Bellamy Comments:

I do get it.

I do understand what this JUST STOP OIL is all about and in some way I support - but when ambulances are held up and people are dying because they cannot get to hospital, then the Just Stop Oil protesters are guilty of killing that person.

Dorset wanted the largest Off Shore Wind Farm in Europe off the coast and you should have heard the commotion, the arguments in the local paper against and even the Bournemouth Tourist Board stated it would destroy tourism - which is utter bollocks as it would be a MAJOR ATTRACTION and besides, it would be miles away off the coast and WE NEED ALTERNATIVES.

Twice the discussion has been raised and a fortune spent and twice local people have loudly spoken against and I do wonder WHERE THESE PEOPLE EXPECT ALERNATIVES TO COME FROM AND WTF THEY EXPECT US TO USE IF NOT OIL AND GAS - UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Suggestions please.......

It really is no use laying in the streets or gluing your hands to the roadway IF YOU CANNOT OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE that is sensible, provable and cost affective and if I hear one more time 'THEY SHOULD DO IT - THEY SHOULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING - THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO ' - It really is exasperating - as that argument is so childish and unhelpful it beggars belief. WHO ARE 'THEY' ?

I bet ANYTHING YOU LIKE these protestors took a car / bus / coach to their designated place of protest and I bet they do not go cold at home and most will not have solar and will be as reliant on electricity and or gas - generated by oil / gas or coal to heat their homes.

Electric cars - WHERE IS THE ELECTRICITY COMING FROM - and besides, the government and car manufacturers HAVE NOT GOT THE TECHNOLOGY CORRECT YET and the infrastructure to charge these electric cars - quite simply - is not in place by a LONG STRETCH of the imagination.

What, if anything, do the Just Stop Oil protesters say we should do as an alternative to oil and gas ?

Nuclear - with all the horrendous dangers involved - look at Chernobyl and Fukushima and not to forget Three Mile Island and the UK has experienced scores of minor leaks from nuclear power plants and THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. All of these horrendously poisoned the sea water, the air and the land for hundreds of miles - land now useless for centuries and centuries - destroyed with radiation leaks and waste water spillage from the reactor and all HUGELY dangerous and radio active. Nuclear waste water has been detected off the coast of Canada from Fukushima in Japan - so this is a global problem.

Chernobyl affected farms in Scotland and carrots grown in the UK - we were told we HAD to peel them incase of radiation poisoning, as if peeling a carrot was

going to protect us from nuclear fall out raining onto our crops.

It use to be that 1 in 5 people would get cancer. In less than 10 years this has altered to 1 in 2. - and a great deal of that is down to diet - being poisoned slowly with cancerous products like the carrots - and all the chemicals in our food - and do not tell me this is inaccurate unless you have some data to prove otherwise.

People moan about wind turbines being noisy ( even though NOT in populated areas ) and that birds and bats fly into them so - should we stop - should we protect the few birds and bats ?

Solar Farms- people complain it takes up too much arable land that should be used for farming. People also complain they are unsightly on roofs and do nothing but find fault - as with every alternative offered - moan moan moan - complaint after complaint and

NEVER A SENSIBLE SOLUTION TO WHAT WE CAN USE TO STOP USING OIL AND GAS.

Even with Wave Power - Here again, all we hear is how it will destroy our beautiful coastline.

I don't even pretend to know the answers and always complaining while not having a sensible voice - is just a waste of time and effort. Blatant vandalism against big companies, museums and sporting events may get campaigners noticed, but it also works against what they stand for and is counter productive in the long run as it pisses people off and is unhelpful in the bigger scheme of things.

WHAT ALTERNATIVES DO THEY OFFER ?

Have they all got electric cars and solar heating in their homes ?

Of course not.

We need safe and clean alternatives and Just Stop Oil need to be campaigning JUST AS HARD - FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES WE ALREADY HAVE - WIND FARMS, SOLAR FARMS - ANYTHING - and then we may take them seriously.

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