Just Stop Oil: Met Police row with campaign group as more than 100 arrests made

Climate protesters have accused police of blocking them on a major north London flyover this morning, as a further tit-for-tat plays out between the two on social media.

Just Stop Oil continued its campaign of slow marches in London calling for an immediate half to fossil fuel projects in the UK. Prior to today, the group said there had been more than 300 arrests since the current round of demonstrations began three weeks ago, with 132 supporters charged and three remanded to prison.

This morning's protesters marched along Hendon Way in Barnet, with Met Police officers quickly arriving on the scene. The force said that more than 110 people, all of those marching along the main road, were arrested.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Just Stop Oil accused the Met of blocking the Brent Cross flyover during its slow march, and so preventing campaigners from leaving the road.

The Met claimed the group “showed no inclination to leave the road, the only way they are is in the back of a police van”.

“Londoners continue to face the brunt and cost of this,” the force added.

Just Stop Oil and the Met Police have a history of clashing over social media. Last Wednesday (November 8), they engaged in a war of words following a march on Waterloo Bridge, in which an ambulance with blue lights on appeared to be blocked.

Dr Juliette Brown, a 53-year-old doctor and mum-of-four from London, was among those taking part this morning.

She said: “Democracy doesn't start and end at the ballot box. Whether it's marching for a ceasefire in Palestine or taking action with Just Stop Oil, I feel driven to act by government policies that are threatening the lives of countless millions of ordinary people.”

Just Stop Oil is gearing up for November 20, from which date it is planning on meeting every day at midday in Trafalgar Square and marching “until the government comes to its senses and ends new oil and gas”.