Just Stop Oil, which is demanding the government end all new oil and gas licences, marched slowly for 90 minutes from Manor House tube station to Holloway Road before staging an hour-long blockade in Camden Town. There were no arrests.
A transporter with nine cancer patients inside was stuck in a massive traffic jam for at least 30 minutes as drivers again clashed with police for refusing to arrest the group.
It was only allowed to pass when the driver told the dozens of police officers walking beside and behind the group that they were late for important meetings.
A Metropolitan Police officer heard by The Telegraph told climate campaigners: “Can you do us a favor – there’s a van full of nine cancer patients, can you let it go?”
Asked if he would apologize to late patients, Sean Irish, 25, who led the Just Stop Oil protest, said he would and said “the disruption is obviously a consequence”.
Mr Irish added: “They’ve made it, hopefully their treatment is going really well, but there’s no future living on a dead planet.”
The Telegraph spoke to two other NHS staff who were stuck in the mile-long queue and were therefore late for work as Just Stop Oil walked from Manor House tube station to Holloway Road.
Dr Rebecca Long, an NHS mental health doctor who traveled from Enfield to Finsbury Park before being stuck at the back while waiting for a bus, said the protest was “stupid”.
“It’s a strike day so this protest has little impact, I support climate change causes and I’m vegan but they’re not helping the cause.
“I have patients waiting to see me and now I’m going to be late.”
Meanwhile, an electrical engineer waved his belt at NHS staff who told him to “just stand behind me and everything will go faster, okay”.
He said: “The policeman said it was peaceful – it wasn’t, they were in the middle of the road. They said “there is nothing we can do”.
Add Comment