Now even kids have had enough of Just Stop Oil: Students late to school and facing detention because of eco zealots rip banners away as they hold up traffic yet again on the morning commute
- Just Stop Oil’s never-ending series of protests continued yet again this morning
- The campaigners did their regular slow walk in London before police stepped in
Just Stop Oil is now so unpopular that children – who its protesters repeatedly claim are the generation whose futures they are campaigning to save – have started berating the group in the streets.
Pupils were today seen reprimanding slow-marchers for making them late for lessons.
Eco campaigners dressed in orange had selected Stratford, east London, and Ealing, west London, for their now-familiar street shuffle.
But police at the east London demo appeared to be unworried this time as at first the highway hijack was not thought to be causing serious disruption.
Moments later as the congestion got worse, they imposed a Section 12 order.
One motorist, who the campaigners explained their cause to, seemed fairly unimpressed. He told them: ‘I don’t give a f*** get out of the way.’
A school pupil remonstrates with Just Stop Oil protesters as they carry on their actions of bringing traffic to a standstill to the streets of London this morning in Stratford
A furious commuter rips off Just Stop Oil posters from the protesters as they carry on march
This motorist seemed particularly aggrieved by the march and told them he ‘didn’t give a f***’
Meanwhile in west London, officers were swifter and slapped the area with the legal imposition immediately.
It means they can arrest them if they do not stop blocking the highway.
Just Stop Oil say it is going to be carrying out the same tactics and actions forever unless the government and multi-national corporations cave in to their demands.
The campaign group wants an end to new fossil fuel projects, yet have so far failed to target any of the countries who are the worst environmental offenders.
Just Stop Oil has angered motorists since it was created last February.
Just Stop Oil’s never-ending series of protests continued yet again this morning in London
Police eventually turned up to stop Just Stop Oil by putting in place a legal order against them in Stratford, east London
The legal order makes it unlawful to walk in the road and gives police the power to arrest them
The outfit has recently become something of a hot potato. The Tories say Labour are in the pocket of them, due to both organisations receiving donations from the same eco-entrepreneur, Dale Vince.
The tycoon who founded energy company Ecotricity even joined the protesters last week for one of their marches.
It comes after measures to tackle eco-zealots were approved by the Lords last week.
Peers voted against moves to throw out Suella Braverman’s proposals, which will give police wider powers to tackle road-blocking protesters.
The Home Secretary said groups such as Just Stop Oil were ‘putting people’s lives at risk’ by blocking ambulances and stopping patients from getting to hospital.
The activists blocked roads, which angered those behind the wheel trying to drive around London
The protesters appeared to be happy with the campaign as they smiled holding the banners
The result of the vote means the measures will become law – but a separate vote in the Upper House criticised the way the Government introduced the powers.
Peers said similar measures were already dropped from the Public Order Act earlier this year, and that ministers had not allowed scrutiny of the new attempt. Crossbencher Lord Pannick KC described it as a ‘constitutional outrage’.
The leading barrister said he supported the aims of the legislation and that the public should not have their daily lives interrupted by road-blocking protests.
But he added: ‘This is a constitutional outrage. The issue is whether we are going to approve regulations which defy the will of Parliament.’
Lord Hogan-Howe, a former Metropolitan Police commissioner, agreed that it was the ‘wrong way’ to introduce the measures but insisted police need more ‘clarity’ on when they can act to remove demonstrators.
