Police have broken up a demonstration of Just Stop Oil (JSO) members who gathered outside of Rishi Sunak’s house to protest against fossil fuel exploration.
JSO said 18 people gathered outside Sunak’s Kensington property, banging pots and pans together and wielding placards stating: “COP Failure = Crop Failure” and “Arrest the Real Criminals”.
Sixteen members of the anti-oil group have been arrested, with Metropolitan Police saying that those detained have been taken to a number of central London police stations.
A statement from JSO labelled the protest a “wide awake distribution”.
WATCH NOW: JSO Protester speaks to GB News
Writing on their website, the group said: “There should be no rest for the wicked. Rishi Sunak has already abandoned the promises he made to his own children on climate – he should have listened to them.
“New oil and gas is a sealed death warrant for the young and those who have done the least to contribute to this crisis.
“It’s disgraceful that an unelected Prime Minister should throw our futures away to squeeze out more profit for his fossil fuel lobbyist cronies.
“Any politician who has the slightest desire to represent the interests of the British people would immediately ban all new licences for oil and gas in the UK.”
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A statement from JSO labelled the protest a ‘wide awake distribution’
JSO
The group highlighted its opposition to Sunak’s decision to greenlight 100 new North Sea oil and gas licenses.
The protesters were accompanied by singer Louise Harris, who played her protest song We Tried.
No10 has declined to comment on the incident.
A Met Police spokesman said: “We have arrested 16 Just Stop Oil activists following a protest in Kensington SW5 this evening.
“They have been taken to a number of central London police stations where they remain in custody.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
The group highlighted its opposition to Sunak’s decision to greenlight 100 new North Sea oil and gas licenses
JSO
Pia Bastide, 29, a community worker who was present at the demonstration, said: “People with flooded homes can’t sleep. Children dying from starvation can’t sleep. Communities staring down wildfires can’t sleep. So why should climate criminals like Rishi Sunak get a peaceful night’s sleep?
“Teenagers are being imprisoned for marching, without ever being convicted of anything. The Met Police should be targeting the real criminals – like Rishi Sunak, and all the oil barons striking slimy deals at COP28.”
In August, eco-zealots from Greenpeace UK climbed onto the roof of Sunak’s North Yorkshire home in protest of the Prime Minister’s plan to expand oil and gas projects.
Five people were arrested, after they used ladders to climb onto the property’s roof and then draped a large sheet of black cloth down the sides of the mansion.
