Just Stop Oil protesters halt fuel tanker near M4

Police block road to traffic and remove activists from top of tanker

Climate protesters have created traffic chaos near the start of the M4 motorway by stopping a fuel tanker and clambering on to it.

Activists from the Just Stop Oil group climbed onto the tanker at the Chiswick roundabout in west London, as part of a campaign demanding the government stop issuing new licences for fossil fuels.

Police blocked off the road around the tanker and diverted traffic away from the roundabout, advising drivers to avoid the area.

At least one protester sat in the road in front of the tanker to stop it moving, and others clambered on top.

Around 30 police officers surrounded the tanker, before removing about four activists from it.

Car drivers hurled angry comments at the protesters.

One opponent tweeted: “I see Just Stop Oil have blocked the Chiswick roundabout this morning stopping people from going to work, hospital appointments, job interviews etc. It is time the police got fought with these people. They are achieving nothing by these protests.” [sic]

A spokesman for the Just Stop Oil group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, said: “All of this could stop if the government just agreed to end new licences of fossil fuels. It’s not a ludicrous ask.

“People would not be having to do this if the government just woke up to the reality that our planet is in and the way that their fixation with oil is going to take us.”

Just Stop Oil, which began last month by staging sit-downs and disrupting football matches, blocked 10 critical oil terminals near London, Birmingham and Southampton at the start of this month, causing petrol and diesel shortages in southeast England.

The group wants the government to reduce demand for fuel and to invest in renewables.

Thirty police surrounded the tanker as angry members of the public hurled abuse at the protesters (Just Stop Oil)

On Wednesday protesters in Purfleet, Essex, superglued themselves to the road in protest at the government’s stance on oil and gas. Police used a special solution to unstick the demonstrators before arresting them.

The government has pledged to crack down on activists taking direct action, saying it would not tolerate disruption to people’s lives.