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Just Stop Oil activists have glued themselves to a road in Islington today as they enter day 22 of their protest action.
Roughly 20 protestors walked into the road in north London and stopped traffic at Upper Street and Islington Green at 12pm today, demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.
Some supporters glued themselves onto the tarmac and others used locked ons.
Police arrested 17 protesters for wilful obstruction of the highway and cleared both carriageways of Upper Street by 1.55pm.
They have been taken into custody at a Central London police station, according to a Met spokesperson.
The action comes as the group continue to defend their widely controversial move to throw soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting on October 14 at the National Gallery in London.
Just Stop Oil activists launched a roadblock in Islington today as they entered day 22 of their protest action
Roughly 20 protestors walked into the road and stopped traffic at Upper Street and Islington Green at 12pm today, demanding an end to new oil and gas
Pictured: The Just Stop Oil roadblock in Islington today
Members of Just Stop Oil sat in the road. One said they were taking action as it is their ‘civic duty’
The group wrote on Twitter today: ‘The Just Stop Oil’s ‘Soup and Sunflower’ action sparked millions of conversations worldwide, and continues doing so. Like it or hate it- it did what it meant to do: it made you feel something.’
Today, the group were seen sitting in the middle of the road, blocking traffic and holding their familiar orange banners.
Protestor Pia Baas, 28, from London said: ‘I am taking action because it is my civic duty.
‘I could no longer sit still and watch the world around me being torn apart, with millions suffering for the benefit of the few. Direct action is a necessity because marching and protests have achieved nothing. I have no future if we can’t grow food and find water to drink.’
Sam Griffiths, 47, a dad and designer from London added: ‘I started this when we hit 40°C for the first time ever in this country. It scared me and the lack of response from the media and Government scared me even more.
The action comes as the group continue to defend their widely controversial move to throw soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting on October 14 at the National Gallery in London
Today, the group could be seen sitting in the middle of the road, blocking traffic and holding their familiar orange banners
Pictured: Police officers take a Just Stop Oil protester off of the road in Islington today
Police take a protester off the road in Islington today (pictured)
‘I knew I had to step up and take action. I’m doing this for my boy. The Government’s toxic policies are trashing his future and that of all our children. We need to stop all new fossil fuel licenses. The state is corrupt and is actively destroying our stable climate and with that our future. It’s our duty to resist it and stand up for what is right.’
Today’s roadblock follows over two weeks of continuous civil resistance by supporters of Just Stop Oil during which the police have made 554 arrests, including 15 on Thursday.
Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,800 times, with 7 supporters currently in prison.
The group warned that ‘this is not a one day event’ adding: ‘expect us every day and anywhere… 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.’
Pictured: Members of Just Stop Oil block the road for their 22nd day of action
Pictured: Officers take a man off the road in Islington after Just Stop Oil protests today
The group have been receiving plenty of backlash, particularly after they were accused of having ‘blood on their hands’ after two women died on a motorway during the Just Stop Oil protest on Dartford Bridge
Pictured: Protesters lie down in the road as police move to take them away from Upper Street
ISLINGTON: Just Stop Oil sit in the road as they block buses and cars from coming through today, pictured
Protests: Demonstrators lie down and smile as they speak to police who moved in to take them off the road
The group have been receiving plenty of backlash, particularly after they were accused of having ‘blood on their hands’ after two women died on a motorway during the Just Stop Oil protest on Dartford Bridge.
A ‘true NHS hero’ was named yesterday as the second victim who died after a four-vehicle motorway crash claimed two women’s lives during the protest.
The family of Dr Habiba Hajallie, 35, known closely to her friends and family as Bee, paid tribute to the mother-of-one.
The other woman who died was named by her father on social media as Lisa Webber.
In a statement released by the family yesterday, they described Bee as a ‘true NHS hero’ who had’ selflessly sacrificed’ by being away from her family during the pandemic as she worked on the covid frontline.
She was described as having an ‘infectious personality’ and they said she leaves behind an ‘irreplaceable void’.
‘True NHS hero’, Dr Habiba Hajallie, 35, (pictured) was named as the second victim who died after a four-vehicle motorway crash claimed two women’s lives during the Just Stop Oil protest on Dartford Bridge
Eco protesters have been accused of having ‘blood on their hands’ after two women died on a motorway during the Just Stop Oil protest on Dartford Bridge. Pictured, Lisa Webber, a mother-of-four in her 50s, has been named as one of the victims
Bee was working at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent when she died.
She lived in Swanley with her fiance Adam Linnell and their five year old daughter.
Her family said: ‘It is with great sadness that the family of Dr Habiba Hajallie (aka Bee) announces her untimely and tragic death following a car accident on October 17, 2022 at the age of 35.’
The other victim, Lisa Webber, from Swanley, Kent, was hit by a speeding BMW car and thrown into on-coming traffic when she had stopped on the hard-shoulder of the busy M20 motorway to help another driver who had lost control in heavy rain.
From his hospital bed, Mr Heap, who suffered a broken back and a broken leg told MailOnline: ‘The eco-warriors may have thought it was an innocent protest, but they’ve got blood on their hands’
Ambulance crews took 40 minutes to reach the scene (pictured) in Swanley, Kent. Police and fire crews were also called out
Builder Mark Heap, 55, also came to a halt to help release the female driver of the stricken grey Infinity Q30 car four hours after the protest began on Monday.
But both women and Mr Heap were run down by the BMW that attempted to avoid the huge traffic jam caused by the blockade of the vital M25 Thames River crossing.
From his hospital bed, Mr Heap, who suffered a broken back and a broken leg told MailOnline: ‘The eco-warriors may have thought it was an innocent protest, but they’ve got blood on their hands.
‘I don’t think they deliberately caused the crash.
‘But their actions, bringing the traffic to a stand-still on the M20, caused the crash in which those two women died.
‘There was another bad crash on the M2 at about the same time.’
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