Just Stop Oil have ended their Dartford Bridge protest after a little more than 36 hours - as police probe a video which appears to show fireworks being shot at the demonstrators.
In a statement the eco-protest group said: “We successfully disrupted oil supplies to Kent and the South East for 36 hours.
“We are stepping down now but other supporters will be stepping up day after day, causing disruption to demand that the government ends new oil and gas.”
At 5.42pm on Tuesday, Essex Police tweeted: “Two people who had been at height on the #DartfordCrossing have now been brought down and arrested. An at-height operation was a success and two men have now been arrested.”
The crossing has not yet been reopened.
The fireworks footage, which was apparently taken on Monday night or in the early hours of Tuesday, shows a person on the south bank of the Thames shooting fireworks at the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and a plume of smoke above the structure.
Police have confirmed they are analysing the the video to determine its authenticity and establish to see if any crimes have been committed.
In a statement Kent Police said: “Kent Police is aware of a video circulating online which appears to show fireworks being set off in Greenhithe near to the QEII bridge, Dartford.
“Officers are making enquiries to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the video and to identify any offences which may have been committed.”
The video, which is circulating on social media, was released as the protest entered its second day. A cherry picker is at the scene with specialists trying to reach the activists who are 100ft up and attached to the bridge.
Essex Police said the platform would allow specialists to work at height on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex.
Motorits have faced one-and-a-half days of delays as a result of the protest, which forced police to close one of the busiest roads in the country linking the M25 in Kent and Essex.
