Just Stop Oil protesters hae blocked off The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in London this morning. Around 30 activists started sitting on the road at 8.45am wearing orange high-visibility jackets and holding Just Stop Oil banners.
Emma Brown, 31, who lives in Glasgow and is one of the Just Stop Oil protestors currently blocking The Mall, said that the activists “would walk 500 miles” to “just stop oil”.
Ms Brown said that the protesters had come down from Scotland and that this was her first demonstration. She said: “We’ve come down because the Government is pressing ahead with over 100 new fossil fuel licences.
“And that is literally a death sentence for all of us here and for all of you. So we can’t allow this to continue.
"We have to have a cut-off somewhere. We’ve seen the effects already on our doorstep. We’re seeing the effects all over the globe. And this madness has to stop.”
Activists have been blocking roads in central London since the start of October as part of their campaign to stop future gas and oil projects from going ahead
One Scottish man on a bike shouted words of support. He said: “Go on the protestors, you’re doing great work. Stay strong.”
While one taxi driver let fly a stream of expletives as he suggested they go and 'get a real job'.
Pupils from Park Mains High School, Erskine, in Renfrewshire, are at the scene watching the protesters. One teacher said: “Let’s get a photo with the activists!”
Another teacher told a pupil off for filming in a demonstrator’s face. The schoolboy said: “But they’re protesters, they want the attention.” The teacher replied: “Don’t do that again. Wind your neck in.”
The last of the 25 Just Stop Oil protesters has since been removed from the road and taken away in police vans. Police officers at the scene said that they have all been arrested. The disruption lasted for two hours and fifteen minutes. It took police over an hour to make an arrest. There were at least 40 police officers and 10 police vehicles at the scene.
