Just Stop Oil eco fanatics were forced to call off their latest protest in London just over an hour after it started after being ‘quickly’ surrounded by police.
About 26 activists, wearing high-visibility jackets and armed with orange banners and a megaphone, wreaked havoc during rush hour with their latest slow-march stunt.
Protesters marched through Aldersgate Street near the Barbican in the City of London, holding up buses and causing misery for frustrated commuters.
The eco fanatics left around 8am in their latest effort to disrupt the capital, following a series of slow marches and similar protests last week.
But Met Police officers were dispatched within minutes and then surrounded the group of activists, who finished their march at 9.15am.
Just Stop Oil protesters pictured marching through central London on Monday, blocking rush hour traffic. They are pictured surrounded by police
Environmental fanatics marched down Aldersgate Street near the Barbican in the City of London, waving buses and causing misery for frustrated motorists
Met Police officers were dispatched shortly after 8.15am and were pictured surrounding protesters. Pictured are scenes from today’s march
Just Stop Oil has now threatened another protest in Parliament Square at midday on Saturday – mirroring similar protests in recent weeks.
Today’s rally came as the group continued its campaign against the government over the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The march was led by a Scottish activist called Ruth. Armed with a mega phone, she shouted: ‘I traveled from Glasgow because my government is not listening to me.
“We are looking at recent IPCC reports that tell us we are not on track to meet our targets and yet the government is about to authorize a new oil project that equals the emissions of 28 low-income countries.
“This project is called Rosebank and it is a death sentence for everyone on this planet.”
The protest ended shortly after 9.15am, Met Police confirmed. No arrests were reported.
A spokesman added that officers arrived ‘quickly at the scene’ before monitoring the rally, which slowed traffic at Moogate and on the A1211 at the London Wall to a speed of 4mph, according to the data from satellite navigation company Waze.
This morning’s protest follows a similar demonstration on Friday, where activists marched through Cromwell Street, Kensington – which led to an angry exchange with a frustrated Met Police officer, who asked an eco- fanatic about ‘going off the road’.
At least 22 protesters caused misery for rush-hour drivers during their 8am protest, before police arrived on the scene 20 minutes to disperse the activists.
In video footage of the encounter, an officer can be heard ordering activists to “get off the road, you’re obstructing the freeway” before a woman appears to move forward, narrowly avoiding being hit by a car.
A police officer arrives at the scene of Monday’s protest as traffic begins to build (pictured)
The Just Stop Oil activists left shortly after 8 a.m., armed with banners and wearing high-visibility jackets. Pictured is an activist marching through the City of London on Monday
“Ma’am, get off the road, you’re going to get run over,” the officer shouts, reaching out to stop her moments before a car passes inches from the woman.
One of those who took action on Friday, Paul Barnes, 43, a father-of-two from Derbyshire, said: ‘I will continue to do everything I can to protect my loved ones. I hear my kids talking about what they want to be when they grow up, so I’m taking action now to protect them, before it’s too late.
Another Just Stop Oil activist involved in Friday’s disruption, Caroline Cattermole, 70, a cancer patient support worker and ornithologist, added: ‘I have seen first hand the dramatic reduction in wildlife caused by ecological destruction and climate breakdown.
“We have lost 70% of birds in the UK over the last three decades. Humanity has decimated 60% of all animal populations since 1970.
“Our survival depends on the natural world in ways we don’t always notice. It breaks my heart.
“We risk starvation, starvation and societal collapse due to crop failure, brought on by extreme weather events…We need to stop new fossil fuels now.”
The action comes days after a frustrated Met Police officer was filmed yelling at a Just Stop Oil activist to ‘get off the road – you’re going to get run over’ during a marching protest slow in Kensington on Friday (pictured)
But a Met Police officer arrived within 20 minutes and by 9am they were looking to stop the activists from marching further into central London.
No arrests were made in Friday’s clash between protesters and police, which came amid heightened tensions over public protests and a crackdown by authorities.
Last Monday, the Met was forced into an embarrassing U-turn following the arrests of protesters at the King’s coronation earlier this month.
Six activists from Republic, the anti-monarchy group, have become the first people in Britain to be arrested under the sweeping Public Order Act on suspicion of being equipped to ‘lock down’ – a tactic sometimes employed by activists to make it harder for the police to remove them.
But despite being detained by police for hours, the Met announced earlier last week that an inquest had been unable to prove any intent to disrupt the event.
“Tonight all six had their bail released and no further action will be taken,” the Met said in a statement.
“We regret that these six people arrested were unable to join the larger group of protesters in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere along the procession route.”
On Saturday, Just Stop Oil supporters took part in another protest in Parliament Square, near the House of Commons.
The group marched through Whitehall and gathered outside the BBC headquarters as part of a rally in support of Palestine, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
The action came after a similar protest by eco-zealots last Thursday, which saw 13 activists arrested outside Parliament.
Officers are pictured redirecting Just Stop Oil activists on their final march in London on Friday morning
The campaign group claimed the protesters were “held in custody until 7 p.m.” before being released early this morning.
Activists have warned they will stage another march outside parliament tomorrow at noon.
A spokesperson for the group added: “This government is engaged in a massive attack on our human rights: rights of migrants, rights of workers, rights to protest – nothing is sacred. The Public Order Act criminalized peaceful dissent.
“Just Stop Oil will march in solidarity with everyone affected by this authoritarian assault on our democratic right to protest.”
Since February 2022, Just Stop Oil has claimed its activists have been arrested more than 2,100 times, and 138 fanatics have served time in jail.
Last year the group caused carnage on major motorways, including the M25, when activists climbed over gantries above the road, halting traffic.