Protesters are causing widespread disruption on the M25 for a second day after several junctions were blocked.
Just Stop Oil said “approximately 15” of its supporters climbed onto overhead gantries in “multiple locations” on the UK’s busiest motorway from 7am, causing police to halt traffic.
Essex Police said officers are on the northbound carriageway of the M25 near the Dartford Crossing, where a demonstrator, believed to be from Just Stop Oil, has climbed the gantry at junction 31, closing the Dartford Tunnel.
National Highways said there are currently delays of 60 minutes, with congestion for five miles.
Protesters are causing widespread disruption on the M25 for a second day
Just Stop Oil
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police said they are responding to a protest at junction 20 of the M25 near Kings Langley and urged motorists to seek alternative routes.
Surrey Police said two protesters have climbed motorway gantries between junctions 8 and 9 and junctions 12 and 13, stopping traffic in both directions on that part of the motorway.
The Metropolitan Police arrested seven people before Monday’s protest on suspicion of “conspiracy to intentionally or recklessly cause public nuisance”, a new offence under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
But the protest went ahead, with forces including Kent, Essex, Surrey and Hertfordshire facing demonstrators in 13 locations.
As well as the arrests, police believe some of those involved in the demonstrations could have breached a High Court injunction obtained by National Highways.
Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people.
Protesters also caused disruption on the M25 on Monday
Just Stop Oil
“Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.”
The Met is conducting an operation to foil the protests in conjunction with the National Police Coordination Centre.
Just Stop Oil staged 32 days of disruption from the end of September and throughout October, which the Met said resulted in 677 arrests with 111 people charged, and officers working a total of 9,438 additional shifts.
According to the group, since its campaign began on April 1, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested nearly 2,000 times, and five are currently in prison.
It added that the Government’s refusal to halt North Sea oil and gas extraction will contribute to global warming, which “will result in the collapse of ordered civil society, the loss of our rights and freedoms and the death of countless millions of people”.