London oil protests: Met using full powers against protesters, force says

The Met Police has said it is using its full powers to manage ongoing protests by environmentalists in central London.

For the last 14 days, Just Stop Oil demonstrators have caused delays and disruption at various locations by blocking roads and junctions.

Earlier this week, video footage emerged of a fire engine being blocked by a demonstration in Knightsbridge.

Cdr Karen Findlay said officers were "absolutely" using all powers to remove and penalise those who broke the law.

The commander, who is in charge of major operations and public order, told the BBC some media reports had led people to believe that officers were being too slow to respond, but she insisted "that's not the case".

"When we get there (to a protest) we've got to assess each case on an individual basis, look at the circumstances, look at the behaviour of the protesters, absolutely ask them to move, and if they don't move, then we've got to make sure we've got the points to prove for the offence of wilful obstruction of the highway or alternatively criminal damage," she said.

Cdr Findlay added that officers in the UK were not allowed to physically remove protesters, in the same way they are in some other countries.

"We've got a duty to facilitate protests. We've also got a positive duty to make sure protesters are kept safe, as much as we have got to balance keeping the community running, our bus services running, and making sure that Londoners can get to their work and go about their everyday business," she said.

Just Stop Oil protesters have been demanding that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents.

On Wednesday, emergency fire crews were unable to get through a junction in Knightsbridge for a period of time due to a protest, something which Home Secretary Suella Braverman described as "indefensible".

Twenty demonstrators were also removed and arrested on Thursday after creating a road block at St George's Circus.

On Friday afternoon, a group of 24 activists were arrested after orange paint was sprayed on a sign at New Scotland Yard, the Met's headquarters.

More than 370 arrests have been made and over 7,000 officers' days have been spent on the protests in the last fortnight, creating a drain on resources, Cdr Findlay said.

"We are taking officers away from the boroughs, the local neighbourhoods and being able to focus on things like reducing violent crime, reducing knife crime, safeguarding priorities or the things the Met wants to be delivering for London."

Last year, the Police, Crime and Sentencing Act came into force, giving police greater powers to impose certain conditions on protests.

The Public Order Bill, currently going through Parliament, is expected to give police further powers.

The Home Office has said the right of people to peacefully protest will not be affected.

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