Just Stop Oil activists have sprayed paint on Harrods to protest the UK government’s new oil and gas licences.
The climate justice campaign group says that at 9am on Thursday, 20 supporters walked onto Knightsbridge in west London and disrupted traffic by sitting in the road with banners.
Some supporters glued their hands to the Tarmac and two others sprayed the outside of the high-end department store with orange paint.
Orange paint was sprayed on a window at Harrods
(Just Stop Oil)
The Met Police said the protesters were being removed by specialist officers, and the force confirmed two people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
Today’s roadblock follows more than two weeks of direct action by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made 525 arrests, including 25 on Wednesday, the group says.
Earlier this week, two members managed to close the Dartford Crossing bridge for more than 24 hours after climbing up it.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said: “Our government is criminally incompetent and morally bankrupt.
“They are actively seeking to accelerate fossil fuel production, which will kill millions of people while failing to address the worst cost of living crisis this country has ever seen.
“Vulnerable people will be freezing to death in their homes this winter, while the government refuses to tax the rich and the big energy companies that are profiting from our misery.
The front of Harrods in Knightbridge, London, is cleaned after the incident
(PA Wire)
“We owe it to our young people to stop fossil fuels, we owe it to our workers to create a just transition to a zero carbon economy, we owe it to our old people to enable them to live with dignity.
“We need to rapidly reduce the demand for fossil fuel energy through a massive programme of renewables, insulation and free public transport paid for by taxing the fossil fuel companies’ obscene profits, and the rich who avoid paying their fair share.”
Supporter Rosie Sauvage, 64, from Tunbridge Wells said: “I want my three-year-old grandson and all of his generation and generations to come to have a liveable climate and enough food to eat.
“They don’t deserve to suffer because of the indifference and inaction of our current leaders. We demand that the UK government stops granting licences for new fossil fuel exploration which is in direct contradiction to stated government Net Zero policy.”
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