M25 traffic: Journalist arrests ‘wrong’ during protests, police commissioner says
A photographer, film-maker and LBC reporter covering Just Stop Oil protests were taken into custody this week
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A police commissioner has admitted officers “got it wrong” by arresting members of the press covering Just Stop Oil protesters on the M25.
A photographer, film-maker and LBC reporter were all taken into custody by Hertfordshire Police this week.
David Lloyd, the police and crime commissioner for the force, told LBC: “I am certain that there was no reason to arrest them such as you have given. As I said at the outset I think we got it wrong.”
Meanwhile Just Stop Oil returned to overhead gantries along the M25 on Thursday for the fourth day in a row.
The climate group once again shut down roads and caused delays along the motorway to call for an end to all new oil and gas. Traffic was brought to a standstill near Heathrow in the morning.
The Metropolitan, Surrey and Essex Police all arrested individuals over the action on Thursday.
In its latest update, Surrey Police has confirmed that J13-14 of the M25 is now shut.
Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted several parts of the motorway this morning with police warning commuters to find alternative routes of travel to avoid disruption.
Officer injured while dealing with protesters on M25
According to reports, an officer was injured on the M25 close to Waltham Abbey following a protester being in the road.
It comes as arrests are being made along the motorway as Just Stop Oil conducts its third day of protests.
Lorry crashes during protest
A person has been arrested for causing a public nuisance after a lorry crashed on the M25 while Just Stop Oil protests were taking place.
Essex Police said the incident, which happened on Wednesday morning, has led to road closures between J26 and J27 clockwise.
The force has not confirmed whether it was the result of activists who have been demonstrating in the area, and the cause of the accident is unclear.
It said: “We’re currently responding to an incident and a subsequent lorry collision on the M25.”
Officers were also at J30 of the M25, where one Just Stop Oil protester had climbed a gantry, while one person was stopped.
Police warned the action would cause disruption to traffic in the area.
Meanwhile, Surrey Police confirmed one protester was on a gantry near junction 8 on the motorway.
The force said: “Officers are proactively patrolling the rest of the M25, as they have been all week.”
Motorway disruption returns for third day running
Activists from Just Stop Oil are staging a third day of demonstrations on the M25, causing further disruption.
The Metropolitan Police say officers from the Surrey and Essex force are at the scene dealing with protesters who have climbed on gantries at several points along the motorway.
Surrey Police has confirmed that one activist has been arrested between junction 8 and 9.
Essex Police has urged commuters to find alternative routes to travel as it deals with protesters climbing gantries along the motorway.
A spokesperson said: “Traffic is still moving through this junction at the moment, but very slowly. There will be delays to journeys. We are working to resolve this as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”
Thanks for following our live updates, we are pausing our coverage for the evening.
Sixteen arrested in second day of M25 protest
Sixteen have been arrested in today’s protest. Read more here:
Sixteen arrested as Just Stop Oil protesters block M25 for second day
The group said its supporters climbed on to overhead gantries in ‘multiple locations’ early on Tuesday.
Just Stop Oil and nursing strike
Harriet Williamson, our commissioning editor, has taken a look at both a planned nursing strike and Just Stop Oil’s second day of M25 protests.
“The reason I’m putting these two examples together – striking nurses and climate protesters – is because the reaction to both of these events has a common thread running through it.”
Read what she thinks here:
Opinion: Just Stop Oil and striking nurses are making one terrible mistake
They’ve forgotten that we are far more interested in complaining about the impact of direct action than considering the issues at stake
Full story: Just Stop Oil cause M25 disruption for second day
My colleague,Thomas Kingsley, has the full story on what happened this morning:
M25 blocked by Just Stop Oil protesters as police warn drivers to avoid the area
Rush hour traffic in Essex brought to standstill
What else have Just Stop Oil been up to recently?
Let’s have a quick reminder of what else Just Stop Oil have been up to over the past few weeks:
Just Stop Oil protesters arrested after throwing cake at King Charles III waxwork
Activists are carrying out action every day this month in call to end new oil and gas licenses
Arrests after Just Stop Oil protesters target MI5 and Home Office
News UK and Bank of England also hit by climate protests
News UK entrance spray-painted orange by Just Stop Oil activists
The entrance to News UK’s building has been spray-painted orange by Just Stop Oil activists. In their latest demonstration targeting key central London buildings, the environmental group also used fire extinguishers to spray paint onto the Bank of England, M15’s building, and the Home Office. This video shows the protesters covering up the News UK logo on the building’s glass entrance, near London Bridge. Just Stop Oil tweeted: “The buildings were chosen to represent the four pillars that support and maintain the power of the fossil fuel economy — government, security, finance and media.” Sign up for our newsletters.
All road closures lifted - but traffic remains
It looks like all road closures have been listed now on the M25, with none listed on National Highways website.
But congestion still remains going clockwise between J29 and J30, as well as anticlockwise at Junction 2.
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