Car 'drives slowly into Just Stop Oil protesters' blocking central London road on 'final march'
26 April 2025, 15:00 | Updated: 26 April 2025, 16:48
A vehicle appears to have driven slowly into Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters as hundreds marched through London for the group's "last day of action".
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Activists walked through central London from just after midday on Saturday, which they called a "defiant celebration of the effectiveness of civil resistance".
Footage shows a man slowly driving a white minivan carrying a child and at least one other passenger towards protesters for the environmental campaign group.
People standing front of the vehicle, some holding a banner, look to hold their hands up with one shouting "officer, I'm being pushed back".
The minivan appeared to edge forwards until the bonnet was pressing against them.
Read more: Eco mob Just Stop Oil to cease disruption for good after final protest next month
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He then exited the vehicle and could be heard shouting "what are you doing blocking the whole road up?" and saying to police "what about my right to get home?" as a mass of people including press photographers gathered closely.
Film appears to capture the officers reminding the man that the disruption is temporary and that people had a right to protest.
Police successfully called for the crowd to move away from the vehicle.
Some 180 activists, including founder Roger Hallam, have been jailed for taking part in or planning Just Stop Oil activities.
The group said their final march was held in honour of the jailed protesters, whom they called "political prisoners".
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: “Just Stop Oil’s initial demand to end new oil and gas is now government policy, making us one of the most successful civil resistance campaigns in recent history.
"We know that resistance works and it's needed now more than ever, so we’re just getting started."
The spokesperson added that "nothing short of a revolution" would fix the problems facing British society.
Some onlookers have claimed that Just Stop Oil have been forced to shut down because of effective policing and prosecution that has served to curb their activities.
The group said that 3,300 people have been arrested since 2022 for taking part in its protests, with more than 180 having served jail time.
Some 11 people are currently in prison after working with the group, a spokesperson said, and at least five more are expected to be jailed next month.
Just Stop Oil's most notorious protests
Soup thrown over Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting
Protesters hurled two tins of soup at the painting in the National Gallery in October 2022.They then glued themselves to the wall beside it.
Protesters throw soup on famous Van Gogh painting
Stonehenge defaced with orange paint
Climate activists targeted Stonehenge with orange spray just before summer solstice in 2024.At least two of the giant stone monoliths were defaced, causing an uproar among Brits.English Heritage describes Stonehenge as perhaps the world's most famous prehistoric monument.
Just Stop Oil spray substance over Stonehenge
Stormed the track at the British Grand Prix
Five activists from Just Stop Oil forced their way onto the track during the British Grand Prix in 2022.The protestors were dragged away by marshals as a number of drivers sped by.
One spectator described it as a "heart in mouth moment as they ran on and the cars came round the corner".
We will not be spectators to government inaction. There can be NO NEW OIL in the UK. And whilst there is, action will continue. #BritishGP2022 #Formula1 #F1 #JustStopOil pic.twitter.com/5c1HXuWoXk
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) July 3, 2022
Nightmare on the M25
The group caused rush hour chaos in November 2022, bringing the motorway to a halt in several locations as they climbed to the overhead gantries.
The M25 was closed between junctions 8-9, 10-11, 14-16, 20-21 at the M1 junction, and at junctions 26-27.
National Highways said there were subsequently delays of 60 minutes, with congestion for five miles.
Just Stop Oil protest on M25 for second straight day
Gatecrashed West End performance of The Tempest
In one of the group's final protests, which took place in January 2025, they climbed on stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane during a performance of The Tempest.
JSO protest disrupts Sigourney Weaver in the West End
They held a sign which read 'Over 1.5 Degrees is a Global Shipwreck' - a reference to the revelation that 2024 was the first full year over the 1.5 degree safe limit for global temperature rise.
