The Met Police – who had said they were ‘fully prepared’ to tackle Just Stop Oil – were given the run-around by the activists today, who were so unworried by them they went to the pub to celebrate a birthday.
Eco zealots JSO made no secret of their desire to disrupt traffic today, posting online about their plan, and their belief their new slow walk strategy was ‘un-arrestable’.
Then at 7am this morning senior Met Police officers briefed reporters on how they planned to take them on.
But when a handful of protesters kicked-off a promised two-week campaign of chaos at 8am today, arriving at Shepherd’s Bush station they were allowed to march slowly along the middle of the road. Chief Inspector Billy Bowen-Long admitted the protest was lawful so they could not intervene.
The activists were able to go to a number of locations unhindered and then even stopped off at a pub. It was something of a PR own goal for the Met, who had invited journalists to watch them in action.
Yesterday the force had said it was fully prepared to tackle any disruptive protests
It came after the campaigning group had revealed plans to target roads and roundabouts.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to have become exasperated by JSO’s ability to cause chaos.
Time for a pint: The Just Stop Oil protesters were so unworried they even stopped at a pub
Police stationed themselves on the road opposite to watch them having a drink at lunchtime
Activists from Just Stop Oil form a rolling protest through Shepherds Bush in west London
Protesters from the group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, blocked roads and bridges in and around London to highlight their demand that the government stop new oil and gas projects
The police appeared to be simply walking beside them as they marched slowly through
Unlike previous protests, which have seen the environmental campaigners sitting in front of cars on busy roads to stop traffic, the planned action let traffic to move very slowly behind each march.
The group believes that this new method of demonstrating will be ‘non-injunction breaking and will aim to be non-arrestable’.
So far the strategy appeared to be working with Chief Inspector Billy Bowen-Long telling MailOnline: ‘We have to work within the confines of the law and the law is very clear, protest is lawful in this country and it’s only when it crossed a threshold and becomes unreasonable or unlawful that we have the power to intervene.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist talks about Just Stop Oil protests to the media
The protesters were not stopped by the police from marching slowly through the streets
Officers were seen simply walking alongside them as them carried out their slow stroll
‘That’s the basic issue. People get very upset with people being in the highway but use of the highway for protest is lawful and we have to meet the threshold of showing it’s become unreasonable before we intervene.
‘Because it’s a peaceful protest until such time it crosses that we have no power to stop it until that point. It may be someone has protested the previous day and hasn’t been arrested but until they show up the following day we have no power to act.
‘If people do show up on a number of occasions then we will charge put them before the courts and it’s up to the court to decide.’
The change of tack, it hopes, means police will be faced with ‘a dilemma’ over whether to allow a ‘legal protest march’ or threaten to arrest protesters, who would still be allowing drivers to progress in their journeys.
Met Police boss, Commander Karen Findlay, said the force is ‘fully prepared’ to deal with the anticipated disruption.
An activist puts up a banner reading ‘Just Stop Oil’ on an electronic traffic sign along M25
Just Stop Oil protesters have been holding up drivers on various roads for months, and now plan to target London’s major roundabouts
As well as blocking roads, the eco warriors made headlines targeting artwork, including throwing Heinz tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
It comes as sources told the Mail on Sunday that Rishi Sunak has increasingly expressed his frustration in government meetings about the ‘disruption to law-abiding citizens’ everyday lives’.
Mr Sunak has reportedly told Home Secretary Suella Braverman to convene a meeting with police chiefs at Downing Street to ‘set out the Government’s expectations that the police must fully enforce the law’.
A total of 62 people have been charged over M25 protests since March, of which 29 were remanded in custody.
More than 11,000 Metropolitan Police officer shifts have been dedicated to anti-JSO operations.
Last month saw a sustained campaign by JSO, involving daily action, in what it described as the ‘biggest ever civil disobedience campaign’.
As well as blocking roads, the eco warriors made headlines targeting artwork, including throwing Heinz tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.