BJ Harrington, chief constable of Essex Police, told The Telegraph he was “devastated” that the traffic officer was injured on Wednesday responding to the latest stunt by the motorway activists. He said there was “no one to blame” for the officer’s injury “except Just Stop Oil”, whose campaigners have been climbing cranes on the 116-mile London route all week to force road closures. The officer, who asked not to be named, is still recovering from injuries sustained in a collision with two trucks. He has been an officer for more than two decades and is a married father of two. This year, as well as his duties in Essex, he was involved in the police operations surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the Commonwealth Games. An Essex Police spokesman said: “The officer has been a member of the Essex Constabulary Unit for over twenty years, having joined the unit in 2001. “He is a very experienced officer and was equipped with the force’s latest motorcycle and protective clothing, which includes built-in airbags. “The air bags deployed as he was thrown from his motorcycle during the incident while responding to criminal activity by Just Stop Oil.” After being told it was only a matter of time before someone was killed because of their stunts, Just Stop Oil announced on Friday that they were calling off their protests on the M25. Essex Police Chief Supt Simon Anslow, the senior officer leading operations on the Essex section of the M25 this week, said: “I would like to thank everyone who went to work or school or anywhere else on the M25 this week for patience and for the support shown to our officers. “The people we have arrested are facing criminal charges and many have already been brought before the courts.”
Just Stop Oil halts M25 protests as eco-mafia say many activists are now in jail
Protest group Just Stop Oil said it was halting action to disrupt the M25 from Friday as it said several of its younger activists were now in prison. In a statement after activists stormed the motorway for four days this week, the group said: “From today, Just Stop Oil will stop its campaign of political resistance on the M25. “We are giving time to those in government who are in touch with reality to reflect on their responsibilities to this country at this time. “We ask the Prime Minister to take note of his statement at Cop27 where he spoke of the catastrophic threat posed by global warming, the 33 million people displaced by the floods in Pakistan and the moral and economic imperative to honor our commitments . “You can’t recycle words and promises – you owe it to the British people to act.” Emma Brown, from Just Stop Oil, did not say whether the protest group would resume action on the M25 after announcing it was calling off the motorway shutdown on Friday. And asked if there were stories of people missing out on funerals and the personal impact members of the public were feeling because of the protests, the spokesman said: “I don’t know if you know, but a lot of our supporters are also in prison. “Now we understand the action we’re taking is you know, there are consequences to that. “But a lot of young people, like 20-year-olds, are now in prison because of it. So that’s a factor, too.” Ms Brown told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re giving the government another chance to sit down and talk to us and meet our demand, which is obviously what we all want to see, which is not new oil in the UNITED KINGDOM.” He did not say whether the campaigners could return to the M25 if their demands were not met, but said: “How can we stop? This is a risk to our lives and to your lives and to all your listeners, so we can” not you stop.” Presenter Mishal Husain brought up the example of one Tony Bambury, who missed his father’s funeral because he was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. Ms Brown said: “I feel really awful about it. And I think it’s really upsetting that these things happen and that this level of upheaval is caused because obviously, people have important things to get to. “But I think the action is commensurate. I think it’s commensurate with the potential deaths of millions of people and a billion climate refugees over the next 20 years. I think it’s commensurate with that.” Asked why Mr Bambury had to pay the personal price, the campaigner said: “It’s like the nurses strike or the train strike. “We don’t aim to upset people, but unfortunately, the actions upset people, because that’s all we have as ordinary citizens. “To me, we’re causing this short-term disruption to the national infrastructure to have a bigger win, which we all need.”
“stop yelling at me”
A Just Stop Oil activist engaged in a toe-to-toe with a veteran journalist. Indigo Rumbelow clashed with Sky News presenter Mark Austin and this was the result:
