Angry commuters unleash on climate protesters blocking traffic as cops watch
Posted For: Willie Wonka, HMFWIC
By Peter Aitken
Climate protesters in the U.K. blocked traffic in London on Tuesday, grinding the city to a halt and prompting so much anger that commuters attacked them.
Just Stop Oil protesters organized several marches across the city, aiming to disrupt traffic. The protests occurred at a number of bridges, including the Tower and London bridges, according to TMX News.
The protest reiterated the group’s demands for Britain to immediately stop all new oil and gas production, usually employing a number of provocative protests that involve the destruction of famous art or private property to gain attention and outrage the public.
The traffic demonstrations — the latest in a series of similar demonstrations since April — proved one too many for some commuters as they fought back, even getting hostile with protesters at times. Police only intervened to arrest the man who got physical with the demonstrators, prompting criticism from nearby pedestrians.
“Tensions have been high, with one man arrested after throwing a supporter onto the ground, one motorcyclist attempting to drive through the same procession and another member of the public snatching banners and physically confronting the Just Stop Oil supporters,” Just Stop Oil wrote alongside a video of the demonstrations, informing the public that it can expect more marches in the future.
Last week, another Just Stop Oil protest resulted in one bystander pushing a protester and smacking a phone out of their hand as the demonstration also stopped traffic on a busy London street.
“The Met and City of London Police are aware of an incident in which a member of the public appears to have remonstrated with Just Stop Oil protesters this morning, 19 May, in the City of London, before the arrival of police,” a spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police told the BBC following last week’s incident.
“At this stage, we are not aware that any allegations have been made in regard to this matter,” the spokesperson added. “We completely understand the frustration and anger of London’s communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.”
Just Stop Oil grabbed headlines for defacing Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting and gluing themselves to other famous artworks. They also smashed cake into the wax model of King Charles III at the Madame Tussauds museum in London.
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