After climbing gantries and blocking three sections of the M25 for nine hours, protestors from Just Stop Oil were escorted away by specialized climbing officers. The demonstrators’ actions caused traffic disruption and anger among motorists.
A man and two women were caught after climbing a gantry over the M25 at the Poyle Interchange between Junction 14 and Junction 15 close to Heathrow Airport. Severe delays are anticipated in both directions through and beyond evening rush hour.
Today, a similar demonstration near Junction 10 between Cobham and Guildford caused nine miles of traffic and an hour of delays. Since the arrest of two women and one guy, the highway segment has also reopened, according to authorities.
After another demonstrator scaled the third gantry, the M25 near Queen Elizabeth Bridge was also stopped for several hours.
The M25 remains closed just north of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge in Thurrock after a protester scaled another gantry between Junctions 30 and 31, generating around eight miles of backups and 90-minute delays.
This week, Just Stop Oil declared the M25 a location of civil resistance in a statement issued soon before the demonstrations.
Additionally, the organization requested that “no one go on this highway from Wednesday to Friday of this week, as we will be blocking the roadway.”
The statement said, ‘We fully recognize the cost and disruption this will create to the public, and we ask that they take their requests for reimbursement to the government, which has precipitated this unprecedented threat to our lives and rights.’
Between junctions 12 and 10, bus driver Ashley Reid transports special needs youngsters aged seven to ten to a school in Leatherhead. Due to the interruption, his students, who began class at 9:15 a.m., were around 90 minutes late on the last day of the semester.
The 40-year-old from Reigate added, ‘We joined the highway at 9 a.m. and didn’t get at school until 10:45 a.m… with their autism, it was difficult for them to understand and be calm.
Today was their last day before the summer break, and they were all transferring schools, so they just wanted to go to school and spend time with their professors and friends before the break.
I am sympathetic to the cause for which these individuals are protesting; but, they are interfering with a large number of innocent motorists and will, in my opinion, lose more support than they gain.
