London rocked by record 657 arrests during Just Stop Oil chaos
Mass arrests as protests grind capital to a halt
The Met Police have arrested a staggering 657 activists over five weeks in a bid to keep London moving amid relentless Just Stop Oil (JSO) protests. Another 338 face charges as the eco-campaigners tried repeatedly to bring the city to a standstill.
It’s believed to be the highest number of arrests ever made in response to mass unlawful disruption. And 308 more remain on bail, accused of interfering with national infrastructure, with further charging decisions pending. Many were arrested multiple times, landing multiple charges.
£20 million and 10,500 officer shifts drained from communities
The operation cost at least £3.5 million over five weeks, sucking officers away from local communities for a total of 10,500 shifts. Since October 2022, policing Just Stop Oil protests has topped £19.9 million.
Commander blasts protesters for stealing resources from communities
Commander Kyle Gordon, who led the crackdown, slammed the disruption. “Community policing is at the forefront of the Met’s priorities and it is tough to see resources being taken away from our boroughs by Just Stop Oil,” he said.
“These officers should be responding to local communities and dealing with local issues instead of policing Just Stop Oil protests. Their time could be better spent tackling issues in our communities and keeping them safe.”
He acknowledged the right to protest but slammed the activists for “causing sustained serious disruption” at the expense of Londoners, who face empty roads, missed hospital appointments and ruined school runs.
“It is Londoners who ultimately face the brunt and bill for this action,” Gordon added. “Our response has successfully minimised disruption for the majority, but I urge anyone impacted to contact us.”
Met uses new laws to crackdown hard
The Met deployed fresh powers from the Public Order Act 2023 to clear protesters from roads. In one blitz, 79 arrests were made in just 20 minutes to clear Whitehall.
A dedicated Just Stop Oil portal remains open for Londoners affected by the protests to share their experiences—and help build courtroom evidence here.
