Police were on Friday braced for yet more Just Stop Oil protests in London as it was revealed previous action by the eco-activists cost the Metropolitan force more than £15 million over 12 months.
About 100 activists have already been arrested this week as the group began a three-week campaign, which they claim will cause disruption on an “unprecedented scale”.
The militants have “committed” to being arrested five times each amid a huge round of slow marching on London’s roads. The latest action comes as the Met also has to police huge protests in central London over the Israel-Hamas war, putting further pressure on its budget.
Action by the group between April to June this year, which saw major roads in the capital blocked by slow marchers who also glued themselves to the road surface, cost Scotland Yard £7.7 million. Previous large-scale action cost it £7.5 million between October and December last year.
The protesters ran training sessions for new recruits over the summer to take part in the latest series of demonstrations rallying against the Government’s plan to issue hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences.
“We will be marching peacefully to demand no new oil, gas or coal,” the group said. A spokesman added that the action in London would be on an “unprecedented scale” with “people coming together from all over the UK”.
A Met spokesman said: “We know this will cause disruption to Londoners and result in officers being taken out of communities to deal with the protests. We are disappointed and concerned to see promotional material from Just Stop Oil, which encourages members to break the law.
"We have asked them to work with us to ensure any protest activity is lawful. We have not yet had a response. We will assume that anyone taking part in a slow march is out to cause maximum disruption and we’ll use all available powers to allow Londoners to continue their daily business.”
Last week, Just Stop Oil members sprayed orange paint over Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, while two medics belonging to the group were arrested after a dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History Museum was targeted.
On Monday, at the start of the latest campaign, 62 members taking part in a slow march outside Parliament were arrested in the first use of the police’s new anti-protest powers. The Met used section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, which bans any act “which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales”, to bring an immediate end to the protest.
A further 35 people were arrested when campaigners slow-marched in Kensington’s West Cromwell Road on Wednesday. Activists used the tactic of “going floppy” — by relaxing their arm and leg muscles to make it harder for police to remove them.
Just Stop Oil said its campaign would not be deterred and its supporters would continue until its demand — a moratorium on new oil and gas licences — was met.
The group has previously targeted high-profile sporting events such as the Ashes, Wimbledon and the Snooker World Championship. As well as the go-slow protests on the roads, it is also reported to be planning to target
Premier League football games.
The Government said hundreds of new oil and gas licences will be granted to unlock “vital reserves” in the North Sea as part of drive to make Britain more energy independent.
However, critics have argued that if ministers are serious about tackling the climate crisis there should be no new investments in oil, gas and coal.
Met Police commander Karen Findlay said: “We understand how important it is for Londoners, and those visiting the capital, to be able to go about their business. Likewise for emergency services, critical health care provision, local transport networks and businesses to be able to operate. We will work to ensure a proportionate policing plan is in place to provide a timely and effective response as necessary.”
