The Just Stop Oil campaign said 51 of its supporters took part in protests at seven petrol stations on Friday morning. Some groups staged sit-ins at entrances or stuck to pumps, while others moved from station to station vandalizing the pumps. “Today’s action coincided with Ofgem’s announcement of a huge increase in electricity bills for October that will push millions more into poverty, forced to choose between heating and food,” the group said in a statement. Friday’s protests were the third day of action by Just Stop Oil supporters this week, after going on hiatus over the summer. The group says it is building towards mass blockades of Westminster in October. In a statement on Twitter, the Metropolitan Police said: “Protesters targeted a number of petrol stations this morning, causing disruption [and] destructive pumps. Officers are at each of the targeted locations, we have made a number of arrests [and] Special teams remove those stuck at the pumps.” Phoebe Frewer, from Brighton, was among nine protesters who blocked access to a BP garage in Western Avenue at about 6.30am. Electronic displays at the pumps were smashed and spray-painted, station signage was graffitied and police were stationed nearby with blue lights flashing. One activist was arrested and taken away, according to others at the scene. “We chose this location because it’s in the 99th percentile of worst pollution in the UK,” Frewer, 20, said. “There’s a study from Imperial College London in 2019 and they basically said that every year on average around 4,000 die from air pollution in London alone. “That equates to about 11 deaths a day. That’s why we’re here in this location specifically.” A woman sprays a message that reads ‘no new oil’ on a sign outside a BP gas station during the Just Stop Oil demonstration on Friday. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images Selma Heimedinger, 22, of Hampshire, sat nearby clinging to the hose of a broken gas pump, along with two other protesters. He told the Guardian: “We are taking action here today because oil is killing people now around the world and in the UK and the government thinks it is okay to go ahead with 40 new oil and gas licences. “We have eight years to make a transition to renewable energy and all the science tells us we can’t have new fossil fuels, and yet the government thinks it’s okay to plow on like everything is fine.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Just Stop Oil launched its renewed direct action campaign on Tuesday, with blockades of major oil terminals in Essex and Warwickshire, followed by action at petrol stations on the M25 on Wednesday. Actions on Thursday were postponed due to heavy rain. Some protesters remain in tunnels under two access roads to the Essex oil terminals, one of which has been closed while the other remains open. The campaign was launched on April 1 and supporters have vowed to continue taking action until the government agrees to a moratorium on all new oil and gas extraction projects. Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “This is the time to unite and resist. We are not prepared to simply watch while they destroy everything we love. We are done with begging. The vote changed nothing. We will stop new oil whether those in power agree or not.”
