Just Stop Oil has warned of violent protests breaking out after accusing the Metropolitan Police of “eco-terrorism” in a new statement.
The activist group, which consistently calls itself peaceful, released its statement yesterday ahead of its meeting with officers from Scotland Yard.
It suggested there remains “potential” for a violent response if officers continue to clampdown on Just Stop Oil’s activities.
It said: “Just Stop Oil is committed to nonviolence, now and in the future.
A small group of Just Stop Oil protestors are escorted by the police during a demonstration on Whitehall on November 24, 2023
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“However if politicians don’t act to defend us, if they continue to increase flood risk, drive 1000s of people from their homes, destroy our ability to travel and reduce the country’s ability to feed itself, then the police are right, there is the potential for a violent response.
“The route to avoiding this is to end new oil and gas and mobilise the country to deal with climate breakdown.
"It is a tragedy, but eco-terrorism is alive and well, we felt its impact this week – devastation and disruption across the country, in Shropshire, in Nottingham, in Worcester.
“Evacuated families, crops written off, businesses shuttered, roads and railways closed.
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Environmentalist group called as 'Just Stop Oil' gather to stage protest demanding the release of those detained in environmental protests in front of the British Police Department Scotland Yard
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“The plan is to make this worse, each year, every year for another quarter of a century, and this eco-extremism is being committed by the UK’s politicians, not the ordinary nonviolent people who are demanding a future.”
Just Stop Oil wreaked havoc across the UK last year, targeting major sporting events and the Coronation.
The group also recently urged supporters to join its disruptive campaign in 2024.
Just Stop Oil’s latest update came in response to the Metropolitan Police’s Force Management Statement 2023.
Metropolitan Police officers arrest a Just Stop Oil activist during the demonstration in Whitehall outside Downing Street
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Directly addressing the challenges posed by Just Stop Oil, Scotland Yard said: “The strategic protest landscape continues to evolve at pace, both in terms of capability and tactical development by protest groups, particularly in Environmentalism related protest undertaken by Just Stop Oil.
“These protests are occurring with increasing regularity over protracted periods of time resulting in significant command demand, resourcing abstraction, and cost for policing.
“In addition, the unique international dimension of London as a capital city, and the location of diplomatic premises and the seat of Government, means geo-political issues manifest in increased demand.”
The Metropolitan Police added: “Insulate Britain, which morphed into Just Stop Oil, have presented new challenges in relation to environmental protest.
Police detain a protester as environmentalist group called as 'Just Stop Oil' gather to stage protest demanding the release of those detained in environmental protests in front of the British Police Department Scotland Yard building
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“Most prominent, has been the intended significant obstruction of the M25 motorway and infrastructure which spanned across six force areas, but also more recently experienced in 2023 have been the seasonal and large-scale campaigns to block roads within London for many weeks at a time.
“This type of strategic protest (long term campaigns) as undertaken by JSO, and their tactic of not engaging with police at all (so the locations, numbers and risks associated with the protest are not known in advance), has meant that the challenge of resourcing public order operations has increased.”
The force confirmed the eco-zealots eight week campaign in the autumn of 2022 required over 13,000 officer shifts and the 13 week spring to summer campaign needed more than 23,000 officer shifts.
Just Stop Oil’s two campaigns cited by the Metropolitan Police resulted in almost 1,000 arrests.