Parts of M25 closed after climate activists scale gantries as Cop27 begins
Parts of the M25 have been closed after activists demanding action on the climate crisis climbed gantries, police have said.
The disruption followed seven arrests in Scotland Yard’s pre-emptive operation against the Just Stop Oil group.
Protesters are planning to cause disruption in a bid to draw attention to what they see as inaction on the climate emergency, to coincide with the start of Cop27 on Monday.
The Met police said it had carried out a “significant” operation to identify and arrest those it suspected of preparing “reckless and serious” motorway disruption. Nevertheless, at least three activists managed to scale gantries over the orbital road on Monday morning.
The Met said one protest took place at junction 25, to the north of London. Surrey police said a similar action had taken place to the south of the capital, and Essex police reported a third to the east and urged members of the public not to “intervene”.
“A protester has climbed on to a motorway gantry at Junction 25 on the M25. The road has been temporarily closed at this location (anticlockwise). Specially trained officers from our protest removal team are on their way manage the scene,” the Met said.
Surrey police added that the road was closed northbound between junctions six and seven, saying the decision had been taken “for the safety of everyone” while officers attempt to remove the activist.
Essex police said: “We are currently responding to reports of people climbing up an overhead gantry close to junction 30 of the M25. Arrests have been made already. We are dealing robustly and ask the public not to intervene.”
After reports of an initial three arrests in the pre-emptive operation overnight, Scotland Yard added: “We have arrested a further four people [on Monday] morning for conspiracy to cause public nuisance at an address in south London. These arrests are in relation to suspected action by Just Stop Oil protesters.”
Announcing the first three arrests, assistant commissioner Matt Twist said: “Our investigation has strong reason to suspect the Just Stop Oil group intend to disrupt major motorway road networks which would risk serious harm to the public, with reckless action to obstruct the public on a large scale.
“All those arrested are suspected of engaging in conspiracy to cause public nuisance contrary to section 78 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
“There remains a possibility outstanding suspects are still intent on causing unlawful disruption to the public. The Met has mobilised specialist teams and drawn police officers from across the capital to respond.”
The Met said it was conducting the operation in conjunction with the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC).
Just Stop Oil staged 32 days of disruption from the end of September and throughout October, which the Met said resulted in 677 arrests with 111 people charged, and police officers working a total of 9,438 additional
shifts.
The climate crisis action group has been calling on the government to abandon plans to license more than 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025, and to do more to help people with energy bills.
“Policy failures … will force millions into poverty and face a choice between heating, eating, or providing the basic essentials for themselves and their families,” Just Stop Oil said in a statement.
“After decades of climate misinformation and delay, we face an existential crisis. We are going to lose all we hold dear. We need to ditch new oil and gas now and we need to change our politics, so that in future everyone can have a say in the decisions that will determine the future of humanity.”
The activists added: “Rishi Sunak is calling for a ‘global mission for new jobs and clean growth’ to do this he most end our addiction to dirty fossil fuels and just stop the harm – this starts by ending new oil and gas.”
According to the group, since its campaign began on 1 April, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested nearly 2,000 times, with five of their supporters currently in prison.