Met Urges Drivers Not To Intervene In Just Stop Oil Protests
The Metropolitan Police has urged drivers and members of the public not to intervene in Just Stop Oil Protests…
‘Don’t Intervene during Protests’
The Metropolitan Police has told drivers not to intervene in protests that disrupt traffic. Its directive follows incidents on Saturday which saw drivers manhandle Just Stop Oil protestors as they blocked roads in central London; with some attempting to drag protestors away from roads.
Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner, has said “call us, and we will deal with the protestors”. He sympathised with drivers, but insisted that their interventions could hamper prosecutions. Twist explained that police must “work within the clear legal framework and secure evidence for the offence of highway obstruction”.
He added that this involved “showing clearly that there is an obstruction, that it is deliberate, that it is unlawful, and finally within the context of protest, that it is unreasonable in all of the circumstances” and that “without this evidence, any prosecution may fail and the offenders will not be held to account for their actions”.
Just Stop Oil
Just Stop Oil is an environmentalist campaign group. It uses direct action tactics to raise awareness of climate-related issues. In particular, it wants the Government to immediately stop issuing licences for new fossil fuel projects. As a part of its tactics, it’s blocked roads across the country and has thrown soup over covered works of art.
The group claims that the mainstream political process has proven ineffective in bringing about sound environmental policy – and that direct action remains the only viable way to raise awareness and to place pressure on the Government. Its critics accuse the movement of being extreme, often claiming that it’s simply disrupting the lives of ordinary people.
Organisers for the group have insisted that, no matter how inconvenienced drivers feel because of protests, they’ll be much more inconvenienced by a breakdown of the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
Councils May Start Issuing Speeding Fines – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/councils-may-start-issuing-speeding-fines/
Public EV Charging Costs Fall Thanks To Government Support – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/public-ev-charging-costs-fall-thanks-to-government-support/
