Just Stop Oil ‘slow walk’ protests take up over 13,000 Met Police shifts and cost taxpayer £4.5m

Eighty-six arrests have been made and 49 people have been charged

The climate campaigners are demanding that the Government halt all licences and consents for new oil, gas and coal projects.

Around 8am, 65 Just stop Oil supporters in four groups began marching on roads around Lambeth, Victoria and Earls Court and further marches were planned for later in the day.

Public Order Act (Section 12) notices were placed on all the marches by 8:46am, including one march which was halted by police after only five minutes.

Just Stop Oil has been marching at least six days a week since April 24.

One of those protesting Monday, Sanjiv Chadha, an electrician from Ipswich, said: “I am an ordinary person being forced to do something extraordinary because of the inaction of our government."

The 48-year-old continued: "I will not stand by and do nothing as my country contributes to a crisis that will cause suffering for billions around the world.

"Our government has lied to us. They signed the Paris accord into law and committed to keeping us below 1.5 degrees of warming above pre industrial levels.

"Since that time they have continued to licence new fossil fuel projects which are the major contributor to the very crisis they have committed to mitigate.

"Now we’re predicted to smash past the 1.5 degree target before 2027. That means death, displacement, famine and war on an unimaginable scale.

"This must stop and I have come to march in London to send a message…not in my name!"

Fellow protestor, mum-of-three, Rebecca Stonehill, 45, an author and teacher from Norwich, said: “I want them to live in a safe world free of hunger and conflict.

"But our government’s draconian insistence to push ahead with new fossil fuel licences will ensure that this will not be the reality for them, nor for millions of others around the world.

"I am taking action with Just Stop Oil because history has shown time and again that when enough people come together to oppose harmful, outdated and out of touch policy; lasting change can happen.

"Look at the abolitionist and suffrage movements, which nobody would question now; new laws around these were not passed in a vacuum, but rather because of ordinary people engaging in direct action and demanding change."

The 45-year-old said if she could speak directly to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak she would say: "Nobody is immune to this rapidly escalating emergency, not even you, your wife and your daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.

"How will you be able to look them in the eye in the years to come when they know that you still had time to do the right thing and halt all new fossil fuel licences?”

Met Police chiefs have defended their tactics despite claims they have not responded quickly enough and urged "frustrated" members of the public not to intervene.

A total of 86 arrests have been made and 49 people charged during the London protests.

Figures released Monday show that officers have been moved from dealing with local policing priorities for the equivalent of almost 13,770 shifts.

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