16 Activists Nabbed in Major M25 Disruption Crackdown
Police swooped early Tuesday to stop chaos on the M25 after a man climbed onto an overhead gantry at junction 14, triggering a major road closure near Heathrow.
Quick Police Action Clears the Motorway
The drama began at 8:00am when the activist scaled the gantry, forcing the busy motorway to shut down and causing gridlock around the airport. Officers arrived just 10 minutes later and by 8:30am, the man was arrested and taken to a south London station.
The M25 was back open by 8:46am, easing the jam.
Joint Operation Nets 16 Arrests
The Metropolitan Police, working with Essex, Surrey, and Kent forces, arrested a total of 16 activists during the crackdown on the disruptive protests.
Police Warn of High Costs to Tackle Protests
“The Met, in a joint operation with neighbouring police forces, has again responded swiftly and robustly to today’s attempts by Just Stop Oil activists to disrupt the M25,” said Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist.
“Since October, we’ve used over 11,000 officer shifts policing these protests. That’s officers pulled away from tackling serious crime like knife offences, burglaries, and safeguarding,” he added.
“We’re determined to bring those causing significant disruption to justice and will work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and courts to ensure they face the consequences.”
