Just Stop Oil protests: climate activists target M25 for fourth day causing traffic chaos in several locations

The climate group said its supporters have climbed gantries “in multiple locations”, with police confirming two have been arrested
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Just Stop Oil supporters are protesting on the M25 for the fourth day in a row causing traffic disruption in multiple locations.

The climate activist group said its supporters climbed gantries “in multiple locations” from 6.30am on Thursday (10 November).

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Surrey Police have confirmed that their officers are dealing with activists who climbed a gantry at Junction 8 of the UK’s busiest motorway. The road has been closed in both directions while officers climb the gantry.

Surrey Police said it made one arrest and one person had been removed from a gantry at junction eight for Reigate.

Essex Police have said that a woman attempting to climb a gantry on the M25 has been arrested. She was detained at about 07:10 GMT on the clockwise carriageway about 1.5 miles before junction 28 for the A12. The force said: “One lane was closed for a short time as officers responded to the situation.”

National Highways said there were "multiple police-led incidents" on the M25 this morning. One lane of the M25 was closed for a short time but all lanes between junctions 28 and 29 for the A127 are now open.

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The Metropolitan Police said there is a person on a gantry near Junction 25 at Waltham Cross close to the border with Hertfordshire and the road is currently closed.

The Met added: “We’re ready to respond to any criminality on the M25 again today and will work quickly to minimise disruption and keep traffic moving.”

There was also a report on social media of a protest between Junctions 15 and 16, near Heathrow Airport.

Phoebie Plummer, a 21-year-old student from London, said: “I understand people must be frustrated with us, and rightly so, but we have to disrupt daily life because we are hurtling towards climate catastrophe, yet the Government continues to betray me, my generation and people in the global South by issuing new oil licences.”

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Kent Police have confirmed that there are no current incidents involving activists on road networks in Kent. The force said: “Our officers are continuing to assist other forces in responding to any offences and disruption elsewhere.”

Essex Police said on Wednesday (9 November) that a police officer was injured during the protests after there was a collision involving the police motorcyclist and two lorries during a rolling roadblock.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington warned it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed during a Just Stop Oil protest.

During a speech in the afternoon Home Secretary Suella Braverman told police to be firmer against protesters and said the "disruption is a threat to our way of life".

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The climate activists are demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences.  They have been joined by supporters of Animal Rebellion to disrupt traffic on London’s orbital motorway.

Tez Burns, 34, a bicycle mechanic from Swansea said: “We need an emergency response to the climate crisis and the cost of living crisis right now - insulate our homes, nationalise and subsidise public transport, invest in renewable energy. Stop paying us lip service and do something meaningful: stop issuing new fossil fuel licenses now.”

The action on Thursday follows four weeks of daily disruption and civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made over 700 arrests. Since the campaign began on 1 April, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 2,000 times, with 20 supporters currently in prison.

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