Women from Devon among Just Stop Oil protestors arrested in London

A 74 year old woman from Exeter and her carer were removed from Parliament Square in a taxi

Just Stop Oil protestors at an earlier protest
Author: Margaret Davis and Richard Wheeler, PAPublished 31st May 2023

Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested for failing to move out of the road in Parliament Square in their latest slow march.

The group said 10 supporters, including a wheelchair-dependent retired cook and members of Christian Climate Action, were detained by police on Wednesday.

They were among a larger group of 56 activists who were staging a slow march near the Houses of Parliament, following earlier protest action in west London when the A4 was blocked during rush hour.

The Metropolitan Police later said 12 protesters were arrested in Parliament Square for failing to comply with conditions when imposed, and officers continued to monitor the situation.

JSO has held demonstrations every day since April 24, and has pledged to carry on indefinitely until the Government stops granting new licences for gas, coal and oil.

Those arrested included grandmother Ari Rox, 74, from Exeter, who has post-polio syndrome and uses a wheelchair, along with her carer for the day, Larch Maxey, who were removed from Parliament Square in a taxi.

Mr Maxey told the PA news agency the Government should do the "honourable thing" and stop issuing the new licences for fossil fuels, adding: "We're here at the heart of democracy asking for that demand to be met."

The Metropolitan Police's Temporary Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist last week urged the public to wait for the police to deal with the demonstrations.

He said: "We absolutely understand why those who are caught up in traffic delays will be frustrated.

"I would urge the public not to intervene or take matters into their own hands, but to call the police, let us know where the incident is and we will get there quickly."

The time between officers arriving at each scene and imposing conditions to move protesters out of the road has been between 13 and 19 minutes for the recent marches, he added.

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