Environmental activists from the Just Stop Oil group have blocked several sections of the M25 freeway, a ring road around the capital, London, and one of the busiest roads in the UK, on Monday morning.
In spite of the special device set up by the police, the activists have managed to affect traffic during the early hours of the morning, rush hour on London’s M25, according to the BBC.
This new protest by the Just Stop Oil group – known in recent weeks for throwing foodstuffs at some famous paintings – comes in the run-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt.
The main points affected have coincided with places where large information screens are located, placed on elevated walkways where activists have placed banners. Essex Police reported that those involved have already been arrested.
One of the activists has published a video in which she acknowledges that she is aware that the population affected by the traffic cuts may hate her, but she has asked to channel «all that anger and hatred against the government».
«They are betraying young people like me (…) What we are asking for is what all scientists are asking for (…) How many more people have to say that we have no livable future?», the young activist has asserted.
This new ‘performance’ has occurred just a day after the London Metropolitan Police launched an operation to identify and arrest a group of activists. The device resulted in the arrest of three people accused of planning riots on public roads.
Just Stop Oil activists have in recent weeks joined the trend of other environmental groups and have thrown food against famous works of art, such as ‘The Sunflowers’ by Vincent Van Gogh.
Likewise, at least six people were arrested at the end of October for spraying paint against several British institutional buildings in London to demand that the government stop oil and gas exploration.
