Oil protesters ‘wreaking havoc and costing millions’

ECO-PROTESTERS have been condemned by No10 for “wreaking havoc” on the roads.

Downing Street said Just Stop Oil demonstrations were costing taxpayers millions of pounds and “putting lives in danger”.

On Monday, Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, accused the “thugs and socalled eco-warriors” of “waging a war against the British people”.

The environmental group, which is calling for an end to new oil and gas projects, carried out demonstrations over the past week, blocking roads and vandalising petrol pumps.

A spokesman for No10 said Boris Johnson backed Ms Patel’s message, adding: “Obviously, the right to protest is a fundamental principle of our democracy, but these demonstrations are wreaking havoc on our roads and they’re disrupting thousands of journeys and costing millions in taxpayers’ money, and also putting lives in danger.

“To date, Just Stop Oil protests have cost police and other agencies millions of pounds and police on the ground have made over 1,000 arrests to date of Just Stop Oil protesters who are distracting officers from preventing crime and keeping our communities safe.”

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act increased the sentences available for offenders convicted of carrying out disruptive acts and police had more flexibility in the way that they manage protests, the spokesman said.

Essex Police made eight arrests on Sunday night after protesters blocked an oil tanker in Essex.

Officers were called to the scene in Grays at around 8pm on Sunday after reports of a group obstructing the road

‘These demonstrations are ... disrupting journeys, cost millions in taxpayers’ cash and put lives in danger’

and a tanker. One person climbed on top of the vehicle while others are reported to have deflated its tyres.

Just Stop Oil revealed last week that protesters had dug a tunnel underneath the carriageway – a key delivery route for a nearby oil terminal.

The group said its members “are still underground disrupting the oil death machine” and have been both extending the tunnel and digging upwards since last Tuesday, when the tunnel was revealed. Three people are still in the tunnel and are calling for the road above to be closed for safety reasons.