Police arrest Oxford Just Stop Oil protesters in home raids across England
The force said it took action as "we know Just Stop Oil plan to disrupt airports and thousands of holidaymakers this summer".
Last updated 28th Jun 2024
At least 18 Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested in co-ordinated police action across England, the climate group said.
The operation included several activists being arrested at home in dawn raids on Friday in locations such as London, Birmingham, Norwich and Oxford.
Six were arrested by the Metropolitan Police on Thursday night during a Just Stop Oil event named "From Roads to Runways - A Just Stop Oil Talk" at Haggerston Community Centre, east London.
The force said it took action as "we know Just Stop Oil plan to disrupt airports and thousands of holidaymakers this summer".
In response to the wave of arrests, a Just Stop Oil spokesman said: "It isn't a massive surprise.
"I think it speaks volumes when we've got a police force cracking down on non-violent Just Stop Oil supporters in this way.
"The people enacting criminal damage on an unimaginable scale against all of us - oil company executives and the politicians that they've bought, basically - when is it that those folks are going to face the full force of the law?"
Asked about the justification for planning to target airports during the key summer holiday period, the spokesman said: "In normal times, that kind of disruption would be entirely unacceptable.
"But you can't really disassociate what we're potentially planning on doing from the reasons why."
He added that disruption is necessary because people are "dropping dead around the world" from extreme heat, and "tipping points" are being passed.