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PA

Just Stop Oil protesters glue themselves to tarmac at central London junction

Police confirmed 16 protesters have been arrested and that the roads have since been reopened

PROTESTORS FROM JUST Stop Oil, a climate action group whose members threw soup on one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings last week, have stopped traffic at a key junction in London this 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 have demanded that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.

One of the protesters, Patrick Walker, a 33-year-old council worker from Newport, said: “Up until very recently I really thought the government would eventually take action to save us from the worst of the climate crisis.

“Then the IPCC warned us last year that we had to stop new fossil fuel extraction if we wanted a liveable future, only for governments to completely ignore them.

“I realised then the government wouldn’t listen and I had to take action if I wanted a future for my family. I have no choice but to resist.”

Adam Beard, a 53-year-old gardener from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was also 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.”

OIL Activists sprayed an orange substance on windows of Harrods department story in Knightsbridge Just Say No / PA Just Say No / PA / PA

A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police said today: “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 1 April, 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, two men who climbed a bridge on Monday morning and blocked off the Dartford Crossing for more than 36 hours.

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

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50 Comments
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    Mute Chris
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    Feb 27th 2020, 9:38 PM

    A useful way to spend my tax money for once. About time they sorted these poor people out.

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    Mute Angry_Man41
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    Feb 27th 2020, 10:20 PM

    The properties that have been repeatedly flooded since 1995 should be purchased at fair price by Co Co and people relocated . They can be added to Council Housing stock and used when not flooded , so it’s not a totally dead investment for the tax payer

    39
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    Mute talksense
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    Feb 27th 2020, 10:35 PM

    @Angry_Man41: you know it takes months and 10’s of thousand’s to repair a house

    24
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    Mute Niall Bourke
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    Feb 28th 2020, 7:54 AM

    @Angry_Man41: Used when not flooded? Put people up in a hotel while spending thousands on refurbishing a flooded house. Move them back in. Wait for another flood and repeat the whole process. Is that you Healy Rae?

    18
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    Mute Teddy
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    Feb 27th 2020, 9:58 PM

    It’ll be pulled in a few weeks for covid-19 relief! Flood victims get your claims in quick!

    27
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    Mute Patrick Trench
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    Feb 27th 2020, 10:37 PM

    Honestly clowns that are talking about dredging the Shannon, haven’t a clue what they are talking about. It is not possible to dredge by ship as there is no way to get one up past bridges and weirs. A digger is like a child at the beach digging a sandcastles moate. Move family to higher ground.

    22
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    Mute Moorooka Mick
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    Feb 27th 2020, 11:32 PM

    There is obviously more water storage needed upstream with another Shannon Hydro electric scheme the most productive way to pay for the dams.

    5
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    Mute Moorooka Mick
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    Feb 27th 2020, 11:30 PM

    Its a pleasant change to paying for water!

    4
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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Feb 28th 2020, 11:47 AM

    It’s a much more logical idea to put a number of R,B 35′s on each side of the river next Summer when the water levels are normal and remove the obstructions, It will never cure all the flooding but it will greatly reduce it. It always appears to be easier to spend the money on engineering reports and planning procedures than on practical flood relief!

    4
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    Mute james dimaggio
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    Feb 28th 2020, 10:21 AM

    I assumed that’s why people pay insurance premiums.

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    Mute MaryLou Silvester-Carr
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    Feb 28th 2020, 8:35 AM

    And how much will the Red Cross take from these emergency funds? After reading what they stole from the People of Haiti I would never support the Red Cross again!
    Yet another boo boo by the government!

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    Mute David Jones
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    Feb 28th 2020, 6:32 AM

    But in fairness the Irish Swimming team for Tokyo now have plenty of places to train so noice…

    2
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