Climate protests from Just Stop Oil have clashed with drivers as they blocked roads in south London.
A man could be seen pushing an activist wearing a high-vis jacket on Thursday as passersby shouted “leave them alone”.
Another man kicked a banner as they walked away from the protesters sat blocking the middle of the road.
Just Stop Oil protesters blocked roads in Southwark on Thursday
(EPA)
“Let the police deal with it,” someone shouted. “Where’s the f***ing police then?” one of the men replied.
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Just Stop Oil protesters were blocking roads around St George’s Circus, a key roundabout in Southwark, on Thursday.
All 20 protesters involved were arrested, according to the Metropolitan Police. Half of them had glued themselves to the road, the force said.
Activists have caused disruption in the capital every day since the start of the month as they demand a halt to all new oil and gas.
Just Stop Oil has vowed to disrupt roads every day this month
(EPA)
Demonstrators wore orange high-vis jackets and held banners as they sat down on roads coming off the roundabout in between Elephant and Castle and Waterloo in south London.
Images showed police making arrests during the action on Thursday morning.
Passersby were also seen clashing with protesters at the scene in a Daily Mail video.
“You can’t f***ing attack them like that, you can’t touch them, you can’t f***ing physically attack them,” one man was heard shouting at someone.
People also ripped banners from the Just Stop Oil protesters in Southwark, the Mail reported, before others handed them back.
The Government has said a Just Stop Oil protest in London earlier this week was ‘unacceptable’
(PA Wire)
Earlier this week, Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested while blocking emergency vehicles in west London. Others were removed using plastic syringes and arrested after gluing themselves to a road outside Buckingham Palace.
Angry motorists dragged activists from a road near parliament at the weekend.
Alex De Koning, a spokesperson for the group, told The Independent he did not think the public were getting angrier at Just Stop Oil. “The angrier voices are sadly the most vocal and are the ones most reported by journalists,” he said on Thursday.
The 24-year-old said the protesters at St George’s Circus were met with positive comments as well, including someone who took up a banner to hang in their student accommodation. One protester was “overwhelmed to the point of tears by the fact there was so much support”, he added.
The group spokesperson said: “There are a lot of very angry, very vocal people but there so many supporters too and if everyone who agreed with our demand but disapproved of our methods joined us on the road and sat down, we could end this in a day and there would be no more disruption.”
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am determined to keep London moving in the face of ongoing disruptive demonstrations.
“Every day more than 200 officers are policing these protests and over the last 11 days we have made 338 arrests.
“I am frustrated so many officers are being taken away from tackling issues that matter most to communities.”
Just Stop Oil has vowed to disrupt roads every day in October as part of its campaign against fossil fuels.
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