Police in London say they have carried out at least 630 arrests of peaceful protesters campaigning against new oil and gas production in the past month, as the authorities exploit new powers under the government’s anti-protest legislation.
According to reports, the protests involve slow marching along roads and are a form of peaceful civil resistance analogous to the “freedom” rides in the US in 1961, when individuals protested against segregated public transport, says Just Stop Oil.
Evidence gathered by the Guardian over the last four weeks reveals some people have been held in police custody for long periods after arrest. The mass arrests of more than 470 people was condemned by civil rights group Liberty as “staggering and shocking”.
A 23-year-old was arrested within five minutes of joining a demonstration on 13 November, and held for 56 hours in custody before being presented to court, according reports and his testimony. A 19-year-old student was held for three nights in a London prison despite being given bail by a magistrates court. The student is considering a case of false imprisonment.
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According to findings, the protests over the past four weeks coincided with the British government confirming in the king’s speech its plans to grant new North Sea oil and gas licences every year. Police are using new powers to make the mass arrests under section 7 of the Conservative government’s Public Order Act 2023, which bans any action that “interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure”.
Data gathered by Just Stop Oil and not disputed by the Metropolitan police, almost half of the arrests were carried out under section 7. The offence carries a prison sentence of up to 12 months.
The 19-year-old student was held in a London prison for four nights after his arrest under section 7. After the first night in prison, he appeared by video link for a court appearance. He was bailed by the court, and should have been released. The student was held for a further three nights in a prison cell.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
