Just Stop Oil protesters have sprayed orange paint on the front of Harrods as they continue to call on the Government to end all “new oil and gas”. Around 20 demonstrators gathered at the department store in Knightsbridge, central London, at around 9am on Thursday for a 20th day of disruption to the capital.
A video shared on Just Stop Oil’s Twitter account shows two protesters spraying paint on the windows of Harrods as members of the public ask: “What are you doing?”
A second clip appears to show the pair being taken inside the store by security guards. Other protesters stopped traffic in Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, with some gluing themselves on to the road.
The Metropolitan Police said the protesters were being removed by specialist officers. The force confirmed two people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
A Just Stop Oil spokesman said: “Our Government is criminally incompetent and morally bankrupt. They are actively seeking to accelerate fossil fuel production, which will kill millions of people, while failing to address the worst cost-of-living crisis this country has ever seen.
“Vulnerable people will be freezing to death in their homes this winter while the Government refuses to tax the rich and the big energy companies that are profiting from our misery.
“We owe it to our young people to stop fossil fuels. We owe it to our workers to create a just transition to a zero carbon economy. We owe it to our old people to enable them to live with dignity.”
The latest stunt comes as two Just Stop Oil activists were charged over a protest that closed the Dartford Crossing for two days. Morgan Trowland, 39, of Islington, north London, and Marcus Decker, 33, of no fixed address, have been charged with committing a public nuisance, Essex Police said.
They will appear in custody at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Essex Police Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “Our priorities have always been to keep people safe and work with our partners to keep Essex moving.
“We have done this consistently during incidents of disruption across the county this year and again this week.
“As we have consistently said, we are not anti-protest but we must take action when we believe laws have been broken and the safety of the public is put at risk.”
Traffic was not able to use the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex, after it was blocked for more than 36 hours from Monday morning in a protest by the environmental activist group.
National Highways reopened the crossing shortly before 11pm on Tuesday.
