By Jack Mendel
Police branded Just Stop Oil demonstrators ‘selfish’ amid an all-day standoff with activists who scaled the QEII Bridge forcing its closure.
Commuters faced disruption after the campaigners climbed to the top of the Dartford Crossing over the Thames, leading to Essex Police closing it.
The situation began to unfold at 4.50am, when officers were called to the Bridge, an hour after it was reported two people had climbed onto the bridge’s cables.
Traffic was rerouted in the early hours of the morning through the tunnel instead, as police apologised for delays.
CCTV camera footage from Just Stop Oil showed trucks and cars in traffic jams unable to get onto the bridge, and being diverted.
The bridge and tunnel is used to get into south-east and north-east London and Essex.
At 8am, Essex Police said: “The QEII bridge is closed to allow us to resolve the situation as safely as possible and a diversion is in place through the tunnel.”
“We will take action against anyone who puts life in danger or things they can selfishly stop others getting to work or getting on with their lives.”
By 3pm, Police said no arrests had been made yet due to the logistics of getting the activists down safely.
Just Stop Oil said they took the action calling on the government to halt “all new oil and gas licences and consents”, saying it hoped to stay there for 24-hours.
This comes after Transport for London announced it would attempt an injunction against Just Stop Oil activists, following weeks of disruption in the capital.
On Friday, activists threw soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery and sprayed paint over the rotating New Scotland Yard sign.
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