An ambulance with a patient on board heading to hospital was blocked on a bridge in London as Just Stop Oil protesters clashed with police.
The vehicle, which had its blue lights on, was trapped on Waterloo Bridge on Wednesday morning due to congestion caused by Just Stop Oil, Met Police said.
Pictures and footage from the scene shared on social media show queues of traffic in both directions on the busy bridge. Dozens of protests were walking along the northbound lane carrying banners and wearing hi-vis vests.
The climate campaigners have hit back at the force’s handling of the incident and claimed it was the Met police blocking the ambulance so they could “blame it on a protest march going in the other direction”.
Did you witness the incident? Email alexander.butler@independent.co.uk
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the Met police said: “This is some of the congestion which JSO are causing on Waterloo Bridge.
“One of the vehicles is an ambulance on blue lights which is not able to get past. Officers are continually telling the activists to move out the road so it can pass while making arrests.”
Police arrest two activists on the bridge— (Martyn Wheatley / i-Images)
JSO stressed they were on the other side of the road to the emergency vehicle— (Martyn Wheatley / i-Images)
More than 40 activists were arrested and moved from the road police said.
In a statement, JSO said: “We have deep sympathy for anyone suffering a medical emergency at any time. Nobody’s life or health is more valuable than others.
“Just Stop Oil’s ‘Blue Lights’ policy has always been that we immediately move out of the way for emergency vehicles with ‘blue lights’ on,” the group said.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said:“An ambulance with a patient on board was delayed on Waterloo Bridge at 10.22am this morning.
“Fortunately, the ambulance crew was able to divert to a different hospital. However delays can cost lives. We would ask any protesters to allow our crews to pass to ensure we are able to get timely treatment for our patients.”
It comes after two Just Stop Oil protesters smashed the glass of a 17th century painting at London’s National Gallery on Tuesday.
“Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words. It is time to Just Stop Oil,” the female protestor said after smashing the glass.
A male activist added: “Politics is failing us. If we love history, if we love art, and if we love our families we must Just Stop Oil.”
