West gardener joins Just Stop Oil protest at London junction

JUST Stop Oil protesters, including one from the West, stopped traffic at a key junction near Holborn station in London on Friday morning.

At 10.50am, 22 activists walked into the road at the junction between High Holborn and Kingsway. They sat on the road with banners while some glued themselves to the Tarmac. Police confirmed an hour later that 16 protesters had been arrested and that the roads have since been reopened.

Just Stop Oil has demanded that the Government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.

Adam Beard, a 53-year-old gardener from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was protesting. He said: “I’m taking action with Just Stop Oil because I’ve had enough of government lies and inaction on the climate crisis, the biggest issue the world is currently facing.

“All over the world we can see the effects of the climate crisis, yet our government continues to back new fossil fuel extraction. For the sake of humanity and all life on earth, this has to stop. I hope that my actions in support of Just Stop Oil will inspire other ordinary people like me to step forward and take a stand against this government’s disastrous energy policies.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said yesterday: “Police have arrested 16 protesters for wilful obstruction of the highway at Kingsway/High Holborn.

“They have been taken into custody at a central London police station. All four junctions are now open.”

The roadblock follows more than two weeks of protests by Just Stop Oil, in which there have been 555 arrests.

Since their campaign began on April 1, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,800 times, with seven supporters currently in prison and 13 in police custody.

Two of the activists remanded are Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker, the two men who climbed the QEII Bridge on Monday morning and blocked off the Dartford Crossing for more than 36 hours.

On Thursday, Just Stop Oil protesters sprayed orange paint on the front of the Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, London.