Face-off: Just Stop Oil protesters confront police officers again this week

ACTIVISTS are calling on the police to “refuse overtime” and help them build a campaign against climate destruction.

The Just Stop Oil group is staging a series of peaceful protests against the government, running until November 10, with this week’s action in Knightsbridge.

The Metropolitan Police Service has made dozens of arrests since the demonstrations began last week and is putting on extra shifts for officers.

The threat of arrest is stopping the movement from growing, said Just Stop Oil’s Alex De Koning.

“We’re asking if the police could refuse the overtime,” he said. “We’re causing a lot of strain on the police department right now because we’re doing this every day.”

Refusing overtime would send a strong message of support to the movement and lower the threat of arrest to campaigners looking to join.

“Imagine if we had a thousand people – all of London would be shut down for the day.

“It’s terrible for those people [affected by the shutdown]. But the government would say, ‘well, that can’t happen. We can’t have London continuously shut down for the day every single day’.

“So they would have to agree to the demands.

“That’s how change happens. When you have enough people to reach that social tipping point.”

Mr De Koning added: “We have tried petitions, we have tried marches, we have tried protests in Parliament Square, they just all have not worked.

“We have to escalate because things are so dire right now.”

Climate change protests led by the Extinction Rebellion in 2018 and 2019 in London cost the MPS more than £7million.

At least 15 police officers were at the protest on Tuesday.

According to Mr De Koning, who is doing a doctorate in green hydrogen production, police officers have privately signalled support for the cause.

He said: “When they’re just talking to us, they’ve been saying ‘yeah I understand’. They’ve been quite helpful and facilitating.”

Prime minister Liz Truss’s government has said it will sign 100 new North Sea oil and gas extraction licences, a big increase on the 40 proposed before the new premier took charge.

Protesters say these licences significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The government says the move will boost jobs and lead to less reliance on foreign sources of energy.

“Energy bills could be as low as £200 with renewable energies and insulation,” said Mr De Koning.

“Instead, they’re £3,500 right now. We need to take the next step, and this is the next step, as controversial as it may be.”

The activists told Extra that “creating drama” was the only way to get media outlets to get interested in the threat to the climate.

Mr De Koning said: “I’ve had so many interviews in the past week and they’ve all snipped the parts that talk about the controversy [of the disruption] because that makes for the best TV.

“And it’s such a shame, because they don’t talk about how it’s just ordinary, amazing, people who are doing this, and the bravery that it takes to sit on the road while you’re being threatened by a bunch of big, angry, men.

“There’s all these little details and all these interesting stories that aren’t being covered.”

The Metropolitan Police Service said it did not want to comment on the Just Stop Oil calls concerning overtime.

On Tuesday it said: “Met police officers have arrested 28 Just Stop Oil protesters in Knightsbridge at Scotch Corner, by Knightsbridge tube station, today, Tuesday 11 October.

“All were arrested for wilful obstruction of the highway and have been taken to a number of central London custody suites, where they remain.”