Angry passer-by shoves Just Stop Oil activist on to ground in central London
A Just Stop Oil activist was thrown to the ground by a passer-by during a protest in central London.
In a video posted on social media, the man can be seen approaching a group of campaigners as they slow march in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, on Friday.
The man then begins to snatch the group’s banners out of the protesters’ hands before pushing the woman on to the ground.
He also appears to grab a phone from one of the campaigners and throw it away, as he tries to push the other demonstrators out of the way of traffic.
⚠️ Content warning.
💥 Some violence is obvious, and some is hidden.
🛢️ The hidden violence of approving new oil and gas, when people are dying in floods and wildfires is extreme.
💀 Our government are guilty of drownings, death by smoke inhalation, heat stress and starvation. pic.twitter.com/9C3orcRx4S
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) May 19, 2023
Meanwhile, the woman picks herself up and goes to sit on the pavement.
In a statement, the Met Police urged the public not to intervene when protesters are blocking the road.
“The Met and City of London Police are aware of an incident shown on social media in which a member of the public appears to have an altercation with Just Stop Oil protesters on Mansell Street E1 this morning, Friday May 19, shortly before the arrival of police,” a spokesperson for the force said.
“At this stage, we are not aware that any allegations have been made in regard to this matter, however, we are in contact with the organisers of the demonstration.
“We completely understand the frustration and anger of London’s communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads. We urge people not to intervene and to wait for the arrival of police, who will attend the scene promptly. We thank people for their patience.”
Commenting on the incident, a spokesperson from Just Stop Oil said they understood how “frustrating” it can be to be disrupted.
“We understand how frustrating it can be to be disrupted, however, as of this morning 13 people are dead and 13,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes in Italy, due to six months worth of rain falling in a day and a half,” the spokesperson said.
“A quarter of a million people are currently homeless in Somalia due to extreme flooding, despite the country experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.
“The disruption we are seeing on British streets is nothing compared to the disruption wrought if we do not stop licensing new oil, gas and coal.”
