Just Stop Oil activists target road in Knightsbridge near Harrods

An irate van driver drove through a mass of environmental protesters at a major junction in London today as fed-up motorists ripped banners from the group and dragged them off the road by hand amid extraordinary scenes. 

The Just Stop Oil activists in exclusive Knightsbridge also caused a fire engine responding to an emergency to be blocked while an ambulance had to reverse and find another route as the group took to the capital’s streets again.

On what was the 11th consecutive day of demonstrations that have resulted in more than 300 arrests so far, the van driver slowly drove into the activists to make it through, forcing them to move away from his vehicle.  

Other motorists blared their horns and motorcyclists tried to weave their way past the protesters at the junction of Knightsbridge and Brompton Road as they continue to demand the Government halts all new oil and gas licences. 

The traffic chaos, which began at about 10am and involved 32 of the group’s activists, caused stuck drivers to get out of their cars and angrily remonstrate with the protesters – some of whom had glued themselves to the road.

One taxi driver was filmed saying: ‘How do I pay my bills? I’ve got one of these, an electric taxi. I paid £70,000 for that. I’m doing my bit, so why do you stop me?’ The activist’s answer could not be heard, but the driver replied: ‘What you’re asking for is years and years and years away, it don’t happen overnight. How stupid are you?’

A woman with the activists then said: ‘We’ve got eight years of reserves of oil already, we don’t need more, we don’t need to take more.’ But the man said: ‘Yeah, you can’t do this – and it doesn’t happen overnight, does it?’ 

The junction is a major traffic interchange for those driving in or out of Central London to and from the west of the city, and is located close to the Harrods department store, Knightsbridge Underground station and Hyde Park.  

Some 309 Just Stop Oil demonstrators are thought to have been arrested over the ten days up to and including yesterday, and the group claimed there had been more than 1,500 arrests since its campaign began on April 1.

Just Stop Oil put out a press release about the action this morning, quoting Holly Exley, 34, a freelance illustrator from Bristol, who said: ‘The reality is that there can be no new oil and gas if we want a safe future, but the UK government wants to extract and sell ‘every last drop’ from the North Sea.

‘Their plans will make climate breakdown, mass suffering and loss of life inevitable unless good people rise up and resist. Right now a very small group of people are making huge sacrifices, risking their wellbeing and their liberty to resist new oil and gas. It’s time for everyone to stand up and pick a side.’

Naomi Goddard, 58, a parish clerk from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, said: ‘I work in a conservative, law-abiding profession so the decision to take direct action with Just Stop Oil was not an easy one.

‘The reality is that we have less than three years to avoid climate catastrophe, but our government is failing to act and now Liz Truss is planning to grant over 100 new fossil fuel licences rather than encouraging renewable energy.

‘I just couldn’t keep my eyes tight shut against what was happening any longer. I know that I risk losing my freedom, my job and my friends by doing this but I also know deep in my heart that taking action at this time is absolutely the right thing to do.’

Graham Lowe, 68, an artist and art tutor from Lancaster, said: ‘I have no choice but to resist, this government is once again putting profit before people. 

‘After a summer of global drought, record temperatures and millions made homeless by unprecedented floods in Pakistan, we have to stand up to the government and say no to new fossil fuels. There is no greater threat to the wellbeing of billions of people than complacency at this time. ‘

And Kathy Dolan, 48, a council worker from Trafford in Greater Manchester, said: ‘I can’t stand by while our government chooses destructive self-interest over a liveable future, and, for the global south, a liveable present. We’re out of time. I will resist, my conscience won’t let me do anything else.’

A Just Stop oil spokesman said today: ‘This is not a one day event, this is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project.

‘Our supporters will be returning – today, tomorrow and the next day – and the next day after that – and every day until our demand is met: no new oil and gas in the UK.

‘We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people. Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.’

It comes after about 25 activists were arrested by police yesterday following a blockade of The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, with the disruption lasting just over two hours before they were eventually all removed.

The protesters outside the royal residence, who had travelled from Scotland, said they felt the need to act after the UK Government gave its backing last month to an expansion of oil and gas operations in the North Sea.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is expected to undertake a new round of oil and gas licensing this month, but one of yesterday’s protesters described this ‘a death sentence for all of us here’.

However Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the licensing could lead to more than 100 new licences being granted, which he claimed could ‘safeguard’ UK energy supplies and support more than 70,000 jobs in Scotland.

A Government spokesman said: ‘We remain fully committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and the UK is forging ahead of many other countries on net zero – with 40 per cent of our power now coming from cleaner and cheaper renewable sources.

‘But with Russia weaponising energy across Europe, we must make sure we do so in a way that protects energy security, by boosting homegrown energy supply and reducing our dependence on foreign imports.

‘This includes increasing domestic gas supply, which we’ve always been clear will have a role in our transition to net zero. But we will also continue to drive forward our commitments on nuclear and renewables like offshore wind.’