The latest Just Stop Oil protest has sparked renewed discussion about the group’s methods, after the group blocked Waterloo Bridge in London yesterday, leaving a paramedic begging police to to clear protesters to attend an emergency.
Though the police managed to successfully remove protesters from the bridge, the climate action group claim the police hurt protesters, using pain compliance to achieve this.
Mark Dolan hosted a conversation on GBN Tonight, with former police sergeant Harry Tangye and Just Stop Oil spokesperson Emma Brown, to discuss the controversial group’s actions. He began by asking Tangye about accusations the police had gone too far.
“You have to ask what the alternative is,” said Tangye. “Do we just let non compliant people go? Now if you actually dragged someone away you're more than likely going to cause an injury to the muscle or even bone, especially when elderly people are being involved maybe and cause injury.
Mark Dolan tests whether police used excessive force while using pain compliance to control Just Stop oil protesters
GB News
“Pain compliance has been around for many, many years and when I was on public order unit that's what was taught and we used it very rarely. It was basically to get someone to let go of something, when we were able to do so when it was legally necessary and all other options had failed.
“Anyone who is having pain compliance put on them, and they've got an audience, will be putting a show up. I think we can be pretty sure about that.”
Mark brought Just Stop Oil’s spokesperson in to defend the group’s actions, asking specifically about the ambulance which had its path blocked during the fallout.
Brown responded: “Well, it's really unfortunate that ambulance was caught up in that disruption. We know that what we do is disruptive and the protesters are on the other side of the road from the ambulance.
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Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters caused chaos on Waterloo Bridge after an ambulance on blue lights was gridlocked by the eco-mob
Met Police“At that point all of the people had already been in police custody and had been dragged into the central reservation. So we were not blocking the road as such. It was more the police that were blocking the road!”
Mark retorted: “You mentioned that it’s ‘unfortunate’. I think that's a very strange word. We're talking about a medical emergency here. This is a paramedic that needs to treat someone. It's more than unfortunate and none of this would have happened without Just Stop Oil.
Brown replied, “There comes a time when it's not like we have the perfect solutions. Like for ordinary people there's a limited amount of things that you can do to make your voice heard. And walking down a road is one of the oldest means of protest that we have ever had in a democratic country.
“So it should be acceptable to walk down a road. And we do try and get off the road if there is a blue light and we've been doing these kind of protests for a very long time and nobody has been hurt and that is because we do try our very best.”
Just Stop Oil recently sparked outrage after spraying paint over Wellington Arch
Just Stop OilFinally Mark brought Tangye back in to discuss the level of force the police used, to which he replied, “Thank you Emma for your advice on how they should be dealing with these disruptive people. But whatever you think about it, the police have had many years experience and expertise on it and have developed these skills to cause as few injuries as possible in the circumstances.
“And we have to deal with non-compliant people. And sometimes it looks slightly untidy.”
Brown responded: “The procedure is that the police lift each person, one person per limb and one behind the head. And that is how you get somebody who's not compliant into a police van. Do you think it's acceptable for the police to harm and to cause pain to citizens that are peaceful?”
Tangye replied, “He wasn't harmed. Just because the wrist is put back… I'm doing it now and it's not really hurting, but if I shout and scream, it can look a lot worse!”