Police have arrested more than a dozen Just Stop Oil activists as their planned mass protest in London appears to flop.
The Metropolitan Police said that 19 protesters were arrested this morning, as a week of planned action commenced.
The service said the activists were apprehended at “various” locations in the capital as the slow-walked on major roads, leading traffic to a relative standstill.
They were arrested “for breach of Section 12 conditions” as they demanded that the Government halt new oil and gas consents and licences.
The group said in a post on Twitter that activists were “marching against our genocidal Government”, and claimed that nine people were “complying with a Section 12 order, but were unlawfully arrested when trying to get out of the road”.
Met Police Commander Karen Findlay said in a statement that officers attended disruption across the city this morning.
She said: “Today officers have been busy responding to further disruptive action from Just Stop Oil.
“We have received calls to 20 protests involving slow marching in roads across London.
“Officers attended 15 slow marches, where 13 Section 12 conditions were placed.
“At five other locations, protesters had cleared the roads and left prior to police arrival.
“In the majority of these responses, roads were cleared in under six minutes.
“Three people have been arrested for failing to comply with conditions after they refused to get out of the road.
“We will continue to monitor ongoing protests and will act as quickly as possible to keep disruption to Londoners to a minimum.”
In an update, the Met Police Twitter account said officers have arrested 19 members of the group this morning, with the total having increased from 12.
Just Stop Oil claimed that nearly 200 activists took to the streets of London this morning, gathering in groups of between five and 25 people.
The group said in a statement: “In an escalation of resistance from previous weeks, at 8am this morning around 180 Just Stop Oil supporters, in fourteen groups, began marching on key roads in central London.
“They marched in groups of between five and 25 supporters, carrying placards reading ‘new oil = murder’, ‘hottest June ever’ and ‘can’t eat oil’.”
