Just Stop Oil zealots are challenging each other to get arrested for their stunts and as many times as possible, an insider has claimed.
The eco-activist group has continued on its disruption campaign, and yesterday invaded a showing of Les Mis in London’s West End, with members seen taking to the stage and unfurling orange banners.
Police apprehended five activists following the display and charged them with aggravated trespass, propelling them back into headlines for another day.
Now, it has emerged that the group intends to create “competition” between members gunning for arrests.
An insider has even said individuals who clock up the highest rate amongst their peers could receive prizes.
Speaking to The Sun, a source said members have discussed the best way to ensure they receive the most arrests at group meetings.
They said it is “essentially a competition”, with discussions around tactics often following demonstrations.
The source said: “It’s essentially a competition to see who can get arrested the most.
“There will likely be prizes for the winner — that sort of thing has happened at previous gatherings after a round of action.”
The newspaper also discovered one JSO member talking about an upcoming protest on October 29.
Messages revealed the activist speaking about the best ways to spread arrests over a number of weeks.
The protest, the messages added, would involve coordination from groups across several areas.
The message read: “This will allow me to spread the average three arrests per person easily over three weeks instead of trying to be a superhuman and pull it off in a single week.”
JSO members were most recently arrested following Thursday’s Les Mis protest at the Sondheim Theatre in London, with Hannah Taylor, 23, Lydia Gribbin, 28, Hanan Ameur, 22, Noah Crane, 18, and Poppy Bliss, 19, charged with aggravated trespass.
The five have been released on bail and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, November 3.
