Just Stop Oil activist hangs nearly 450ft above Dartford crossing in makeshift bed
Just Stop Oil has continued to cause traffic chaos as activists shut down a major crossing over the River Thames for a second day.
Activists remained overnight on top of a bridge over the M25 Dartford Crossing, with police continuing to work to resolve the situation.
One of the protesters said he was “quite cold” and “didn’t sleep much” but vowed to remain on the Queen Elizabeth II bridge until the government promised to end all new oil and gas licenses.
Traffic queues backed up for six miles in both directions during Tuesday rush hour as the disruption continued into a second day.
Over in London, 26 activists were arrested on the same morning after blocking a road – some gluing themselves to it – in Hammersmith.
It comes during Just Stop Oil’s month of action which vows to cause disruption every day in a call to end all new oil and gas.
Essex Police on Dartford Crossing protest
Here is the latest from an Essex Police spokesperson on the protest at the Dartford Crossing:
“We’re working with our partners to identify the safest and quickest way to resolve the situation. But as you can imagine, they’re 100 metres up in the air. It’s very complex. These things can take time.”
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 12:11
Traffic jams around bridge
Independent TV has some footage showing the travel chaos around the crossing this morning:
Just Stop Oil: Long traffic delays continue around Dartford Crossing for second day
Traffic chaos has continued into the second day as Just Stop Oil activists remain atop Queen Elizabeth II bridge on Tuesday morning (18 October). This footage recorded by Lisa Gordon shows the buildup of cars along the A2 by Bluewater Shopping Centre, at around 7am. In a bid to grab the government’s attention for climate action, protesters climbed the bridge standing 190-foot above the water forcing the closure of the only overground road across the Thames east of London. National Highways tweeted just after 7am that six miles of traffic had already formed around the Dartford Crossing. Sign up for our newsletters.
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 11:52
‘Long delays’ at Dartford Crossing
National Highways says the Dartford Crossing is still closed while the Just Stop Oil action is ongoing on the bridge.
There are “long delays” as a result:
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 11:33
‘I was pretty cold’
Here is one of the activists at the top of the bridge describing his stay overnight:
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 11:14
M25 Dartford Crossing bridge closure
A major bridge remains closed for the second day in a row after being targeted by Just Stop Oil protesters.
Two activists scaled the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on Monday, as Aisha Rimi reported at the time:
M25 delays as Just Stop Oil protesters climb Dartford Crossing bridge forcing closure
Motorists are stuck in eight miles of traffic with delays of up to two hours
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 10:55
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of what Just Stop Oil is getting up to as the M25 Dartford Crossing remains closed.
Zoe Tidman18 October 2022 10:52
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