Climate activists paralyze traffic in London for hours

Dozens of climate activists paralyzed traffic in central London for hours in protest against fossil fuels such as oil and gas.

Members of the Just Stop Oil group held banners calling on the British government on Monday not to approve new oil and gas projects and to stop cars and buses. Drivers sometimes responded with angry horns and insults.

Activist Louise Harris told the PA news agency that the group did not want to disturb the population. But the government and media would only respond to such actions, Harris said. British former canoeist and Olympic gold medalist Etienne Scott also joined the protest. Last weekend tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the government district of Westminster for more climate protection.

In response to disruptive actions by climate protectionists in particular, the conservative British government wants to further tighten the right to demonstrate. Pasting and pasting should be banned as forms of protest. Two members of Just Stop Oil, including a German, were recently sentenced to several years in prison for temporarily blocking an important bridge over the Thames. (oee/sda/dpa)