Police have arrested several individuals after a protest group blocked Oxford Circus yesterday afternoon, causing significant disruption in one of London’s busiest areas.
Officers were called to the scene at approximately 2:40 pm on June 22, where protesters had blocked the road with posters, and megaphones, and by sitting in the street. The newly launched group, Youth Demand, shared a video on X showing the blockade, accompanied by a caption stating, “We will not blindly support a broken political system that turns a blind eye to genocide. Voting, letter writing, and signing petitions is no longer enough–we must escalate.
Conditions for the protesters to vacate the road were imposed at 3:05 pm. According to the Metropolitan Police Service Westminster (@MPSWestminster), “most complied” with the order, but several arrests were made for those who refused to move. The junction was cleared and reopened to traffic by 3:35 pm.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said, “Officers were deployed to Oxford Circus as protestors blocked the road at approximately 2:40 pm. Conditions for protestors to move out of the road were imposed at 3:05 pm. Most complied, but several arrests were also made. The junction reopened to traffic at 3:35 pm.”
The arrests have drawn attention to Youth Demand’s cause, highlighting their dissatisfaction with the current political system and their call for more drastic actions to address their concerns. The protest briefly disrupted traffic and brought a significant police presence to Oxford Circus, underscoring the group’s determination to escalate their efforts for change.
