‘If officers were not helping the central operation to deal with Just Stop Oil-they could be dealing with issues that matter to local communities’-nearly 8,000 officers used to deal with protesters across London.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist releases a statement on the ongoing Just Stop Oil protests in London, stating that nearly 8,000 officers have been taken from communities to deal with protesters causing havoc across the capital.

It is not just police officers that are now seen to be removing Just Stop Oil protesters, it is very irate members of the public who are thoroughly fed up with having their lives disrupted. The protesters are arguing that by targeting us, they will prompt the government to listen to their important message. If that were indeed the case, I think the public would actually be more understanding towards them. However, after months of protesting by many various organisations the public can see that the government are not interested in the slightest in making these vital changes and as a matter of fact consecutive Home Secretaries, as we have seen a few, have actually made protesting laws harder, having detrimental impacts on the rest of the community who wish to protest.

The message on climate change and its need to be addressed is vital. We can all see the changes in our environment. Yesterday, despite being the last few days of October, people were still wearing shorts and t-shirts as temperatures hit 23c. A summer that saw record high heat of nearly 40c, fires repeatedly break out across London and no rain for months leaving the earth scorched in scenes not often seen here including a drought being declared.

We all acknowledge how vital these issues need to be addressed and would all stand with those shouting this important message to those who need to take notice. We don’t however stand with those who have now taken up nearly 8,000 police officers away from our community to have to deal with you.

In case you didn’t get the memo, we do not have enough police officers in our community as it is and your actions are now taking up endless resources that the community can not afford. Police officers are already stretched, face endless protests across London as the cost of living crisis hits our communities hard and sadly deal with the consequences of knife crime everyday on the London streets.

Now, you really are the bitter cherry on the cake that has added huge pressures on our police officers. Nearly 8,000 officers, a huge number have had to deal with the results of your actions. Officers that already struggle to have a day off due to the heavy work loads.

It is time to think about your actions now and how you lost the room when you stopped an ambulance and a fire engine from getting through your block aid. It is also worth noting that after the closure of the Dartford Crossing and the huge environmental disaster caused there, two women heartbreakingly died as an ambulance desperately battled its way through the diversions caused by the closure of the crossing to reach the crash in Kent.

Well done to Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist who has spoken openly and has issued a very straight to the point and well said response to the endless task of having to police Just Stop Oil protesters.

Please see his statement below.

“The Met is absolutely committed to providing a quick and effective response to activists who have been significantly and deliberately disrupting people’s daily lives. Since 1 October, we have now arrested 651 people. 

“Actions by Just Stop Oil have caused a significant amount of disruption and frustration among the public in London. We will always provide a proportionate policing response to protest and try to work with organisers so that protests can go ahead safely. However, the public rightly expects us to respond quickly and effectively where protest crosses the line into criminality.  

“Just Stop Oil do not engage with police in advance of their demonstrations, which means more resources are needed across the Met to respond, irrespective of whether significant action takes place or not. This impacts on policing resources from local communities. Since 1 October, more than 7,900 officer shifts have been needed to respond to this activity to try to keep London moving and minimise serious impact on communities.

“If officers were not helping the central operation to deal with Just Stop Oil they could be dealing with issues that matter to local communities, such as knife crime, safeguarding and responding to burglaries. Additionally, these cases will in time place a significant burden on the wider criminal justice system. We are determined to bring those who have caused chaos and disruption to justice, and additional officers will continue to be needed into the medium term to process these cases successfully to court.

“The Met is a large and resilient organisation and despite the abstraction of officers to support this operation, we are still able to deal with our core business in communities, however this continuing action increases pressure on our systems and our officers.

“I completely understand the frustration and anger felt by the public who are seriously disrupted by a relatively small number of protesters and their deliberate tactics. They are affecting people’s businesses, their lives, whether they are on their way to a doctor, a long awaited hospital appointment, on their way to work, to interviews, or to collect children; I know communities and the public of London have had enough of a very small number of people disrupting them.

“When notified of any activists committing offences, or causing disruption by blocking roads, our priority is to get there quickly. I would urge the public not to directly intervene, but to call us, and we will deal. On arrival we need to work within the clear legal framework and secure evidence for the offence of highway obstruction, showing clearly that there is an obstruction, that it is deliberate, that it is unlawful, and finally within the context of protest, that it is unreasonable in all of the circumstances. Without this evidence, any prosecution may fail and the offenders will not be held to account for their actions. Once we have this evidence, arrests are made and our specialist teams work rapidly to unstick the protesters or remove their complex lock on devices.

“We are determined to bring to justice all of those who have caused significant and unreasonable disruption to London, or caused damage to buildings, property or valuables. It’s what the public expects, and we’ll work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and Courts to make sure this happens.”