At least one protester was arrested on Wednesday after Just Stop Oil climate activists climbed highway signs on the M25, causing major bounces.
Five protesters climbed porches in three places, causing police to close sections of the road.
The campaign group declared London’s orbital motorway a “site of civil resistance” after this week’s record temperatures and what they describe as the government’s “inadequate preparations” for climate change.
The group has issued a statement saying the record heat wave is “arguably the most important moment in UK history”.
“All-time temperature records are being erased, thousands of people are expected to die from a heat stroke and liars and conspirators fighting to lead us are too busy fighting among themselves for less just care about them, ”the statement says.
Protesters put up signs at junction 10 eastbound near Cobham, Surrey, the Poyle interchange at Heathrow between junctions 14 and 15, and at Dartford between Queen Elizabeth Bridge heading north and junction 30.
Surrey police later said a 22-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of causing danger to road users, causing public nuisance and for being a pedestrian on the highway.
“They had to close three lanes while we were working to get the woman out safely, which involved a specialized team trained to deal with incidents at height,” she said.
Just Stop Oil activists went up to the porches and lowered banners, forcing police to close the M25 on Wednesday morning
(Just Stop Oil)
Louise Lancaster, 56, a former teacher and mother of three Cambridge children, was among the Protestants.
In a statement on the Just Stop Oil website, he said: “The world is burning, now it must be obvious to the people of this country, they have lied to you, the government and the media fed by the barons of the We have a serious, serious emergency, action needs to be taken The government must not license 40 new oil fields The government must take swift action to maintain its climate commitments and protect the future of the world. our young people “.
Just Stop Oil has previously blocked the M25 and gasoline yards, damaging more than 50 fuel pumps, with 35 people detained during a protest in April.
The M25 has been the subject of repeated environmental protests after Insulate Britain also targeted the motorway last year.
The increase in incidents prompted Interior Minister Priti Patel to push for new powers to curb these protests. The “orders of prevention of serious disturbances” are among those included in a series of controversial police powers in the new law of public orderand would allow police to put electronic tags on disruptive protesters and restrict where they go, who they meet and what they do in person or online, even if they have not committed any crime.
However, Ms. Patel’s own department, the Interior Ministry, warned earlier this year that the plan would likely violate the law.
An Interior Ministry analysis suggested that persistent climate activists “were not discouraged by the threat of arrest,” and said the proposals for serious disruption prevention orders “essentially eliminate the right to protest.” of a person and most likely lead to a legal challenge. “