Police told to get tough as Just Stop Oil demos return
MOTORISTS are facing more chaos from Just Stop Oil eco-zealots from today and in the run-up to Christmas.
The activists have warned they will relaunch their campaign of disruptive protests following a brief “truce.”
Police urged angry drivers not to take the law into their own hands and vowed to deal with protesters quickly.
But chief officers are risking the wrath of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman if they fail to target the JSO criminals.
The Prime Minister reportedly met officials two weeks ago to vent his anger about an M25 closure by activists. “This is ridiculous! Why are the police not arresting people?” he said.
Ms Braverman is to hold a summit meeting with police chiefs this week when she will tell them what the country expects from the police force.
Earlier this month, she told the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to “get a grip” of a situation threatening to spiral out of control.
Ms Braverman spoke on the day a police constable was injured in a lorry crash while operating a rolling road block in response to JSO activists scaling an M25 gantry in Essex.
In a stinging rebuke during a speech to the NPCC conference, she said: “Criminal damage, obstructing the highway, public nuisance – none of it should be humoured.
“Scenes of members of the public taking the law into their own hands are a sign of a loss of confidence and I urge you all to step up to your public duties.”
The Metropolitan Police pledged yesterday to “provide a quick and effective response” to JSO activists, who are planning more disruption in London from today until December 14.
Commander Karen Findlay, of Met Operations, said: “We are again fully prepared.We have a very experienced team with robust policing measures in place to respond quickly and effectively to any incidents of serious disruption to London.”
She said police would always try to work with organisers on safe protests but that as JSO did not engage, large numbers of officers had to be diverted from tackling other crimes. Adding that she understood public frustration, she said: “Where activists cross the line into criminality, the Met will arrive quickly, deal with the situation efficiently, remove and arrest activists as appropriate and return things to normal as soon as possible. Please do not take matters into your own hands.”
Since October 1, 11,923 officer shifts in the Met have been required to respond to JSO actions, which have also included spraying paint on public buildings and attacking works of art.