Fireworks Fired at Just Stop Oil Protesters at Dartford Crossing
Travel chaos erupted as eco-warriors from Just Stop Oil entered their second day dangling from the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing. On Monday evening, shocking footage showed fireworks being fired directly at the protesters. One figure stood beneath the closed bridge, launching two fireworks into the night sky near the activists.
Protesters Unfazed Despite Dangerous Firework Attack
Despite the risky stunt, Just Stop Oil climbers remained unshaken. Early Tuesday updates from the bridge confirmed they were safe and still determined to stay put until their demands are met. The group’s two climbers scaled the bridge on Monday, forcing the rare closure of this vital link between Kent and Essex.
Just Stop Oil’s Bold Demands and Police Response
The campaigners are demanding the government halt all new oil and gas licences and consents immediately. Refusing to budge, the activists vowed to stay “until they are brought down.”
A police spokesperson said:
“We’re working with our partners to identify the safest and quickest way to resolve the situation. But, as you can imagine, they’re 100 metres up in the air. It’s very complex. These things can take time.”
Essex Police confirmed they knew about the fireworks video but had received no formal reports.
Protester Speaks Out: ‘Oil and Gas Are Killing Us’
One protester, Morgan, a London-based civil engineer, shared his ordeal in a video posted on Tuesday morning:
“We just survived the first night up here. I was pretty cold, didn’t sleep much, but I’m OK.
We’ll be here until the government makes a meaningful statement cancelling all new oil and gas extraction licences and consents.
Oil and gas are killing us now, and millions are going hungry this winter.
We need an emergency transition to renewable energy that is stable and affordable.
We have to pay for that transition with the profits of the oil and gas industries and the wealthy.
The time has come for civil resistance. Come and do what you can at this critical juncture in history.”
The Dartford Crossing remains closed with no sign of the protest ending soon as the nation waits on government action.
