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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Anthony France

Police arrest 62 protesters at Just Stop Oil demonstration in Parliament Square

Police have arrested 62 Just Stop Oil protesters after a demonstration in central London.

Dozens of demonstrators lay down in the road near Parliament Square in Westminster at about 10am.

The Metropolitan Police said officers arrived four minutes after receiving a report and have subsequently arrested 62 people under section seven of the Public Order Act.

The protest group said around 65 activists were marching on Monday morning to demand an end to new oil and gas.

A spokesman added: “Ordinary people are in the road at Parliament Square, calling out our government’s genocidal policy of new fossil fuels. We will not stop.”

The Metropolitan Police said it arrived within four minutes of receiving the initial report, adding: “Officers are responding to a number of Just Stop Oil activists in the road. "

“Officers will respond quickly to minimise disruption for Londoners,” the Metropolitan Police added.

It came as Just Stop Oil activists who took part in M25 protests await a High Court judge’s ruling after being accused of being in contempt.

Mr Justice Soole is due to announce a decision on Monday after considering evidence at a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London last week.

One protester accused of breaching a court injunction by climbing on to an M25 gantry is a 76-year-old grandmother.

Retired teacher Gaie Delap, from Bristol, told the judge that the “climate emergency” was not being taken seriously enough and her “heart was breaking” for the future of “my six grandchildren”.

Ms Delap is one of 12 people accused of taking part in M25 protests in November 2022 and breaching a court injunction.

Lawyers representing National Highways told the judge that protesters caused “considerable delays” and are in contempt of court.

The protesters have all mounted arguments in their defence.

Three other people aged over 55 – Paul Sousek, 72, Theresa Norton, 65, and Paul Bleach, 56 – feature in the litigation.

Others protesters accused of contempt at the hearing were: Charlotte Kirin, 54; Daniel Johnson, 25; Joseph Linhart, 22; Luke Elson, 30; Mair Bain, 36; Paul Bell, 23; Rosemary Jackson, 25; and Theresa Higginson, 25.

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