Fury at ‘upside down’ policing at Just Stop Oil stunt after officers ‘threatened to arrest’ angry motorists who drag zealots off the road – as eco-mob try to bring London to a standstill
- Peter Bone said it ‘seems to be one rule for protesters’ and another for motorists
- Eco-activists blocked roads in the capital for a second day to the fury of drivers
- DO YOU KNOW THE ANGRY MOTORISTS? Email [email protected] or [email protected]
A Tory former minister today furiously blasted officers for their ‘Alice in Wonderland’ approach to policing Just Stop Oil stunts after motorists were effectively threatened with arrest if they tried to drag the zealots off the roads.
In angry scenes this morning, drivers got out of their vehicles and tore banners from eco-fanatics who have staged a second day of protests in London in a bid to bring the capital to a standstill.
A video shared by Just Stop Oil shows a man telling the demonstrators to ‘f*** off, every single one of you’ and ‘move out of the way’. When he rips the banners from the hands of protesters and pushes them to the side of the road, police nearby go to stop him.
One of the uniformed officers then tells the man ‘if you push them, that’s assault – if you do that, that is a crime’, while the commuter can be heard complaining ‘people have got to go to work’.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline today, Conservative MP Peter Bone blasted ‘upside down’ policing. He said: ‘There seems to be one rule for protesters and another for hard working individuals who want to go about their job.
DO YOU KNOW THE ANGRY MOTORISTS? Email [email protected] or [email protected]
In a video taken today a man was told he would be committing assault if he tried to move Just Stop Oil supporters out of the road against their will
The man was spoken to by officers after ripping banners from the hands of Just Stop Oil supporters and trying to push them out of the road
‘They can break the law, block roads and do criminal damage, and nothing seems to happen. A motorist who just seems to want to get on with their job is threatened with effectively being arrested.’
READ MORE HERE: Eco- activists who scaled a bridge over the Dartford Crossing and caused 40 HOURS of gridlock are jailed for five years
The former minister added: ‘At the moment policing seems to be upside down. The people who are breaking the law and obstructing people going about their normal lives, nothing happens to them. The people who just want to get to work are getting into trouble.
‘It’s an Alice in Wonderland situation.’
Earlier today police warned furious motorists stuck in gridlock while Just Stop Oil zealots staged a road blockade that they could be charged with assault if they try to move the demonstrators.
As the eco-fanatics today launched a second day of protests in London, video footage shared by the activist group this morning showed one angry commuter being confronted by police officers after tearing down banners held by the group and trying to force them out of the way.
It came as the eco-group staged a second day of protests in London, having provoked anger from motorists yesterday when they also walked slowly in roads and held banners.
This morning there were further blockades by the protest group on the roads of London, with more than 100 of its supporters marching in roads in the centre of the capital.
Tory MP Peter Bone (pictured) has hit out at the the ‘upside down’ policing of the protests today
Just Stop Oil protesters walk through central London this morning on a ‘slow’ march
The eco-activists brought traffic to a halt in the capital this morning as they continued their protests
These included protests at Pall Mall, Waterloo, Victoria, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square during rush hour.
Protesters held placards saying ‘betrayed by my government’, ‘jailed for caring’ and ‘end climate injustice’.
READ MORE HERE: Just Stop Oil head to the Shell HQ in Waterloo to protest (After targeting motorists, a dinosaur exhibition and the World Snooker Championships)
Photos show demonstrators holding banners and walking in front of traffic including buses and vans.
Among the protesters out today is solicitor Kate Logan, who said she believes ‘time is running out’ to stop climate change.
The 38-year-old said: ‘Ordinary people know this, but our government keeps licensing new fossil fuels. They are writing a death sentence for millions. I spent years signing petitions and campaigning for change via the ‘usual’ methods, to no avail, civil resistance is now our only option.’
The Londoner added: ‘I want my children – and all children – to grow up safe and fed. Taking non-violent action towards this aim feels like the responsible thing for parents to do right now. The old system is being propped up by corrupt politicians and billionaire oil executives. They won’t change unless disruptive pressure from ordinary people forces them to.’
A Just Stop Oil Spokesman said: ‘Let us take the energy we have built from this weekend and channel it into keeping the pressure on this criminally corrupt, genocidal government, day after day, until we all win.
‘We’re calling all those who understand the importance of this moment in history, to step it up. Either we are actively in resistance, on the side of life, or we are complicit with a government that is knowingly enacting policies that threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Head to juststopoil.org and join a slow march from today. See you on the streets.’
In the footage a driver can be seen getting out of his van and tearing the banners away from protesters
He was then confronted by police liaison officers who attempted to defuse the situation during rush hour
The Metropolitan Police said the protests had broken up by 10.30am with no protesters or motorists arrested.
On Twitter it said: ‘As of 10.30hrs, Just Stop Oil protests at #Waterloo, #ParliamentSquare #PallMall, #TrafalgarSquare #and #Victoria Street had all concluded.
‘Police continue monitoring the situation and will quickly respond to any further protests. No arrests have been made.’
READ MORE HERE: Just Stop Oil spark Monday morning rush hour chaos as mob slip into London on fourth day of disruption
Earlier the force had warned that protesters had moved from Pall Mall to Piccadilly in Westminster where they stopped on the road.
It said: ‘The Met is aware of a number of protesters slow walking on the roads. Officers are on scene and attempting to engage. We are carefully monitoring for any disruption and will take action as necessary.’
In a similar incident, footage which was taken yesterday in the capital shows police liaison officers appearing to block the man as he tries to find a way of moving the environmentalists out of his way during rush hour.
In the video the man can be heard honking his horn before leaving his vehicle and shouting ‘get out of the f****** way’ at demonstrators in the road.
However, when he then rips two banners from the hands of the Just Stop Oil supporters he is confronted by police, and can be heard angrily accusing liaison officers of ‘supporting this [protest]’.
The furious motorist was one of hundreds held up by Just Stop Oil as they held slow walking protests while holding banners in locations across London, including in the West End, Westminster and south London.
Footage shared by Channel 4 News shows the confrontation between the motorist and Just Stop Oil supporters in London on Monday morning.
In the video a grey van can be seen coming to a sudden halt when blocked by the activists, with the driver honking the horn.
He then gets out and shouts ‘get out of the f****** way’ at the people stood in the road, before saying ‘give me this’ as he tears the banners away from them.
At this point he is then confronted by two police liaison officers who try to defuse the situation.
He tells them ‘I need to go to work’ , before asking: ‘What are you guys doing? What are you doing?’
The motorist tells the officers ‘I’m going to be late today, what do you want me to do?’ who respond by saying: ‘Can you just go back for me please?’
The driver then shouts at the Just Stop Oil supporters ‘Come on, just get out of the road’, before turning his attention back to the police, appearing to question how they’re dealing with the protesters by saying: ”Sir, sir, sir.’ If you do something we’ll see what happens. What are you doing? You’re just being annoying.’
Eco-activists holding placards and banners slow traffic to a crawl by walking in the road in Westminster today
Just Stop Oil protesters walk slowly in the road in Westminster as they hold a demonstration this morning
A third police liaison officer then arrives, with one of them telling him ‘Traffic is going slightly slower than it normally is in London’, prompting the man to mockingly say: ‘Slightly slower?’
He then tells the officers: ‘I can see it in all your faces, you like this stuff. You like it. You’re supporting this.’
It was part of a number of demonstrations by Just Stop Oil during rush hour yesterday morning, which culminated in a joint march by the group and Extinction Rebellion from Westminster to London headquarters of Shell in Waterloo in the afternoon.
It was the last of four days of protest by XR supporters, but the first day of an ‘indefinite campaign’ by Just Stop Oil calling for an end to new UK oil and gas projects.
The group has called for people to join the slow marches every weekday at 7am and midday on Saturdays.
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