Just Stop Oil protests affect M25 and Dartford crossing

Essex Police called the action by protesters "unacceptable"

Multiple arrests have been made after a second day of widespread disruption by protesters on the M25.

The motorway was blocked and gantries were climbed in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey by Just Stop Oil activists.

They said the action was to "demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents".

The Dartford tunnels had faced disruption since 07:00 GMT, but they have since reopened.

Congestion remains in some areas, but much of the traffic has begun returning to normal.

Specially trained officers worked to get to those at height down from the gantries

The disruption comes as the COP27 climate summit is held in Egypt. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told world leaders the war in Ukraine was a reason to act faster to tackle climate change.

Just Stop Oil said its supporters climbed gantries at multiple locations on the M25.

The Metropolitan Police (Met) said 16 protesters were arrested on the motorway in a joint operation with other county police forces.

It said teams trained to safely remove people who attached themselves to a structure, including those at height, had been used.

On Sunday, the High Court granted an injunction preventing M25 protests, meaning anyone involved in any such protest could be found in contempt of court.

Essex Police officers made a number of arrests on Tuesday

Police officers were patrolling the area around the Dartford Crossing

The affected locations on Tuesday were:

• Essex - junction 27 (Epping), junction 30 (Lakeside) and junction 31 (Dartford Crossing)

• Herts - junction 20 (Kings Langley), junction 21a (Bricket Wood), junction 22 (London Colney) and junction 26 (Cheshunt)

• Kent - junction 1b (Dartford)

• Surrey - junctions seven (M23) to eight (Reigate), junctions eight to nine (Leatherhead), junction 11 (Chertsey) and junctions 12 (M23) to 13 (Staines)

• London - junctions 14 to 15 (Slough)

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.

"Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities."

Police "responded quickly" to the protesters, Essex Police said

Earlier in the day, Essex Police warned protests would cause "major disruption" to motorists driving from Kent into Essex via the A282 Dartford crossing.

Both tunnels of the northbound crossing were closed during the morning rush hour, but they were reopened by about 09:30.

• What is Just Stop Oil and what are its aims?

• Dozens arrested over Just Stop Oil M25 protests

• Police remove and arrest Dartford bridge protesters

Ch Supt Simon Anslow, of Essex Police, said: "I completely understand the anger and frustration and want to assure people we are working hard to prevent these criminal acts and to respond as quickly as we can.

"We have mobilised a significant amount of resources... resources which should be tackling knife crime, helping investigate sexual and domestic offences, and responding to burglaries."

One motorist stuck in the queues said they were trying to get to hospital to see their dying 93-year-old cousin.

"To the imbeciles protesting on the M25, I am sitting with the engine off while the police remove them," they said.

Tony Bambury, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, told the BBC he got caught up in the demonstrations on Monday. He was attempting to travel to Basildon in Essex for his father's funeral.

He said he had left two-and-a-half hours for the 67-mile (108km) journey, but travelled no more than 35 miles in three hours.

"These people have made this immeasurably worse for me and my family," he said.

Rich Felgate, who has been filming a Just Stop Oil documentary, told the BBC he was standing on an M25 bridge near Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, with another photo journalist on Monday when the pair were arrested and detained for 13 hours by police.

He said the pair were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to create a public nuisance, despite the men offering to provide journalistic credentials.

"It was super worrying, it comes with a potential prison sentence, it was no joke," he said.

"It's a big deal and when they are not following correct procedure for the press, then how far are they going to go?

"The police investigating were really extremely sceptical of us being legitimate journalists."

The pair were eventually released, he said.

The British Press Photographers' Association (BPPA) said it "strongly condemns" the arrests.

It added: "News gatherers should be able to operate freely without fear of arrest."

Hertfordshire Police said it could not comment on individuals, but said three people arrested in connection with the protests on Monday had been released with no further action.

The Met said eight people had been charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance after being arrested on Sunday, ahead of action on the M25 this week.

Essex Police said three people were charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, after being arrested at junctions 27 and 30 on Monday.

Surrey Police said six people were due in court following arrests on Monday, with five more being detained on Tuesday.

National Highways said a daily average of 150,000 vehicles paid to use the Dartford crossing, over and under the River Thames, in 2021