This morning, an activist from Just Stop Oil scaled a motorway gantry on the M25, causing rush-hour mayhem once again.
Surrey police have been called to deal with a protester between junctions 6 and 7 in the county. The flow of traffic is still active at this time.
It occurred despite National Highways obtaining a High Court order prohibiting eco-extremists from obstructing the busiest freeway in Britain.
A number of arrests have been made by the police in response to the demonstrators’ intentions for large-scale blockades.
According to The Sun, 56-year-old leader Roger Hallam and two other eco-activists were detained for questioning last night, while the Met confirmed this morning that four more arrests were made at an address in south London for conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
When the police raided Mr. Hallam’s home to arrest him, he was not present, but they later confirmed that he had been detained for the same crime.
The eco-group conducted a full month of activities in October and planned everyday activities through Christmas.
Mr. Hallam, who co-founded Extinction Rebellion, remarked, “This could be the most significant act of civil disobedience in decades.”
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist reported that three individuals suspected of plotting a public disturbance were apprehended on Sunday evening.
This morning, a Just Stop Oil protester mounted a motorway gantry on the M25, igniting rush-hour gridlock once again.
Surrey police have been called to deal with a protester between junctions 6 and 7 in the county. Moving traffic is still present at this time.
The eco-group conducted a full month of activities in October and planned everyday activities through Christmas.
Roger Hallam, the head of Just Stop Oil, was detained last night for allegedly plotting large-scale blockades to halt traffic on the M25 (pictured: Hallam being arrested in 2019)
The Sun stated that Hallam, 56, and two other eco-activists were questioned by Met police Friday night.
Roger Hallam’s history of questionable statements ranges from referring the Holocaust to a “f***ery” to advocating Nuremberg-style trials for “climate criminals.”
Roger Hallam, a 55-year-old farmer who helped form Extinction Rebellion before departing to join Insulate Britain, wants to “bring down all the regimes in the world,” beginning with Britain, and believes those in charge of society “should be shot in the head.”
There have been suggestions that the Welshman who compares his techniques to those of the legendary activists Gandhi and Martin Luther King has a cult-like following. Bad weather is reported to have prompted him to become a climate activist after his Welsh farm failed.
In an official energy performance certificate, Mr. Hallam’s farmhouse was noted as having “poor insulation.” On the certificate, his 2,000-square-foot Carmarthen, South Wales, farmhouse received the lowest possible energy rating. Since the rating was provided six years ago, it is unknown if Mr. Hallam has taken steps to enhance it.
When asked about the certificate, a spokeswoman for the organization stated, “This is the point: British homes are the leakiest in Europe, with millions of households unable to afford the advice and assistance necessary to insulate their homes.”
Hallam has also linked the slaughter of six million Jews by the Nazis to previous historical genocides and asserted that the Holocaust is holding Germany back.
The former organic farmer’s remarks to a German publication were swiftly denounced by Extinction Rebellion groups in the country.
As Cop27 commences, the Metropolitan Police have revealed they have initiated a “major” investigation to identify and arrest climate change protestors suspected of preparing “reckless and dangerous” traffic disruption.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist reported that three individuals suspected of plotting a public disturbance were apprehended on Sunday evening. The police anticipated making additional arrests overnight.
Mr. Twist stated, ‘Our investigation has significant grounds to assume that the Just Stop Oil group intends to disrupt major highway road networks, endangering the public’s safety with irresponsible actions to hinder them on a broad scale.
“Everyone arrested is suspected of conspiring to produce public disturbance in violation of Section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act of 2022.
There is still a chance that fugitive suspects intend to continue causing unlawful disruption to the public. The Metropolitan Police Department has mobilized specialized squads and recruited policemen from throughout the city to respond.”
Since the beginning of October, according to the Metropolitan Police, which is coordinating the operation with the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC), over 10,000 officer shifts have been devoted to monitoring Just Stop Oil protests.
National Highways has obtained an injunction from the High Court to prohibit Just Stop Oil protesters from interrupting England’s busiest freeway.
The court has issued a fresh injunction to prevent illegal demonstrations on the M25, which encircles Greater London, in an effort to end the environmental group’s interruption of the busy road.
It means that anyone who enters a highway and attaches themselves to any item or structure on it, as well as anyone who assists them, can be held in contempt of court.
They might risk incarceration, an infinite fine, and the confiscation of their assets.
The injunction was granted in addition to a court order acquired earlier this year by National Highways that targeted Insulate Britain and other demonstrators.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper stated that he authorized National Highways to seek the most recent injunction in order to combat a “reckless minority of protestors.”
He stated, “Protesting by blocking busy highways or scaling overpasses is extremely dangerous and disruptive, which is why I asked National Highways to seek this additional injunction, which the courts have granted.”
This will make it easy to take action against this minority of irresponsible protestors.
If they violate the injunction, they might face incarceration or an unlimited fine.
National Highways obtained an order from the High Court to prevent Just Stop Oil protesters from interrupting England’s busiest highway.
Mr. Hallam, who co-founded Extinction Rebellion, stated that their action up until Christmas could be “the most major civil disobedience act in decades.”
Duncan Smith, executive director for operations at National Highways, adding, ‘Millions of people rely on the strategic road network on a daily basis, and they have the right to expect it to function properly.
“We already have an injunction that encompasses hundreds of miles of our network,” This additional court order will make it easier to take action against irresponsible persons who choose to protest illegally on the M25.
“Protesting on these congested highways is very hazardous for demonstrators and other road users.”
National Highways will continue to do all possible to dissuade illegal protest activity and penalize those who violate injunction orders according to the law.
The present injunction issued by National Highways covers the M25, M25 feeder highways, and major roadways in Kent and near the Port of Dover until May 2023.