Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said three people were arrested on Sunday night on suspicion of planning a public disturbance. Police expected to make more arrests. “Our investigation has strong reason to suspect that the Just Stop Oil Group intends to disrupt major motorway road networks that would seriously risk harming the public, with reckless actions to obstruct the public on a large scale. “All those arrested are suspected of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance contrary to section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. “There is a possibility that the outstanding suspects may still intend to cause an unlawful disturbance to the public. The Met has mobilized specialist teams and called in officers from across the capital to respond.’ The Met said it was conducting the operation in partnership with the National Police Coordination Center (NPoCC). Just Stop Oil held a 32-day shutdown from the end of September and throughout October, which the Met said resulted in 677 arrests with 111 people charged and officers working a total of 9,438 extra shifts. The climate change action group is calling on the government to abandon plans to license more than 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025 and do more to help people with energy bills. “Policy failures … will push millions into poverty and face a choice between heating, food or providing basic goods for themselves and their families,” Just Stop Oil said in a statement. “After decades of climate misinformation and delay, we are facing an existential crisis. We will lose everything we love. We need to end new oil and gas now and we need to change our politics so that in the future everyone has a say in the decisions that will determine the future of humanity.” According to the group, since the start of their campaign on April 1, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested nearly 2,000 times, with five of their supporters currently in prison.
