Officers from Essex Police moved in quickly to remove those who had violated a court order by sticking their fingers up for less than a week. This adds to the chaos caused by today’s tube strike. Protesters have been seen at Junction 28-29. While hundreds of Kent Police officers have been deployed to patrol Gantries in an attempt to prevent the mobs from regaining access. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has ordered officers to “stop humouring” environmental activists as a protest from Just Stop Oil campaigners who cause chaos on the M25 for the fourth day in a row. The Home Secretary accused officers of allowing protests to spiral out of control due to their “reluctance” to deal with “criminal disruption.” Her request came after Just Stop Oil activists caused even more havoc on the M25, resulting in a crash in which a constable was injured. She claimed that citizens were taking the law into their own hands because they had lost faith in the police. ‘Although most police officers do an excellent job, we have seen a decline in confidence in the police to take action against radicals, roadblockers, vandals, militants, and extremists in recent months and years.’ However, we have seen the police appear to lose faith in themselves – in yourself, in your authority, in your power – an institutional reluctance. ‘Criminal damage, obstructing the highway, public nuisance – none of this should be tolerated.’ Scenes of members of the public taking the law into their own hands indicate a loss of confidence, and I urge you all to rise to your public responsibilities.’
