Members of the public should not “directly intervene” and dish out vigilante justice on disruptive Just Stop Oil protesters, a Metropolitan Police boss said.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist has urged people not to take the law into their own hands after activists blocking roads in London were dragged out of the way in heated scenes on Saturday. Activists demanding the Government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents have blocked roads in various locations as part of a month-long campaign of direct action, causing what Mr Twist called “significant disruption and frustration among the public in London”.
He said the force has arrested 651 people while responding to Just Stop Oil stunts since October 1, accounting for more than 7,900 officer shifts. Mr Twist suggested this has diverted police away from dealing with knife crime, burglaries and safeguarding.
