Parts of UK’s M25 motorway halted as 'Just Stop Oil' campaigners climb gantries to protest

Sections of the United Kingdom’s M25 motorway were briefly shut down on Monday after demonstrators of the environmental group Just Stop Oil climbed up to the overhead gantries in an attempt to ask the UK government to stop “all new oil and gas consents licences,” Sky News reported. According to a spokesperson of the groups, the "action has gone ahead in multiple locations on the M25."

Motorists in the area were asked to travel through other routes as the police attempted to stop the disruption by the protesters at the scene. The incident comes after campaigners of the group were "proactively" taken under arrest a night before by the Metropolitan Police over allegedly orchestrating the plan to block the motorways. So far, 23 people from Just Stop Oil have been arrested by British authorities.

Addressing reporters on Monday, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist stated that the act was not a protest, but rather a "criminality,” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice soon. "This was a very significant and co-ordinated effort to cause massive disruption to the entirety of the M25,” he said. 

Just Stop Oil protesters disrupt motorway, vandalise public spaces

Surrey Police revealed that parts of the M25 motorway were briefly closed during the rush hours of Monday "for the safety of everyone.” "We are here and dealing and will get this resolved as soon as possible," it said in a tweet. Hertfordshire Police also reported a similar situation at M25’s 20, 22 and 23rd junction." The junction 22 #M25 road closure has now been lifted. All protesters have been removed and some five people have been arrested," the force announced in a tweet. Eight people have been charged for Monday's disruption on M25, the Met Police wrote on Twitter. 

This isn’t the first time that campaigners of Just Stop Oil have resorted to creating public disruption to voice their demands. Earlier in October, protesters spray-painted the headquarters of a climate sceptic think tank with orange colour in the capital of London. Before that, demonstrators of the group targeted a showroom of luxury department store Harrods in central London and accused the UK government of being “incompetent.”