Just Stop Oil activists marched in Clapham on Monday morning against a backdrop of snow in protest at the government’s proposed laws to camp down on methods of protest.
Around 20 group affiliates walked onto the A24 near Clapham South and continued along Clapham High Street from 8.15am.
And further action is planned for Camden later on Monday, the group has said.
Just Stop Oil activists have previously glued themselves to roads of busy traffic and scaled roadside structures as part of their effort to stop the government agreeing to commission any more fossil fuel projects in the UK.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has previously announced intentions to stop the disruption of such groups by giving police greater powers.
⛓️ The government has threatened new legislation before Christmas to “close loopholes” that allow Just Stop Oil supporters to march in the road, thus confirming the suspicions that the only protests that the government will allow are those that nobody notices.#PublicOrderBill pic.twitter.com/8B9QhFvErY
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) December 12, 2022
A Just Stop Oil statement read: “The government has threatened new legislation before Christmas to close loopholes that allow Just Stop Oil supporters to march in the road, thus confirming the suspicions that the only protests that the government will allow are those that nobody notices.”
The Metropolitan Police arrested 755 Just Stop Oil activists during October and November with 182 charged. It has not been stated whether there have been any arrests surrounding the demonstration in Clapham.
Just Stop Oil has doubled down on their efforts after levelling up secretary Michael Gove gave the go-ahead for a new coal mine at Whitehaven in Cumbria.
At the Clapham demonstration, activist Adam Beard said: “I'm taking action to highlight our government's total disregard for human life and suffering in the pursuit of short-term profit.
“Not only are they issuing new fossil fuel licences, but they have now given the go-ahead for a new coal mine which will produce the dirtiest kind of fuel there is, almost all of which will be exported. This exposes the massive gap between what government ministers say and what they do.”
Just Stop Oil has also made headlines for pouring soup over the Vincent Van Gogh masterpiece Sunflowers and has not ruled out slashing paintings, as the Suffragettes did more than 100 years ago.
The group has not yet disclosed what the Camden action could include.
Met commander Karen Findlay said: “Activists are affecting people’s businesses, their lives, whether they are on their way to a doctor, a long-awaited hospital appointment, on their way to work, to interviews, or to collect children.
“Therefore, I again urge Just Stop Oil organisers to engage with us to minimise disruption to Londoners.”
A government spokesperson said: “The right to protest is a fundamental principle of our democracy, but those protestors that disrupt public life, delay our emergency services and drain police resources cost the taxpayer millions and must face proper penalties.
“The police need, and have requested, strengthened powers so they can tackle this rise in guerrilla protest tactics, and the Public Order Bill will support police to take an even more proactive approach to prevent chaos before it ensues.”
