The Home Secretary urged police chiefs to take a “firmer line” against the protesters, who brought the M25 to a halt for a third day.
Suella Braverman has warned police they are losing the public’s confidence in their efforts to halt the Just Stop Oil protests as an officer was injured when the group brought the M25 to a halt for a third consecutive day.
The Home Secretary urged police chiefs to “step up” and take a “firmer line” against the protesters as she said there had also been a “loss in confidence” by police in their failure to make full use of their powers to crackdown on the protesters.
Her comments came as police forces involved in tackling Just Stop Oil started using new laws to deny the protesters bail in order to prevent them repeatedly returning to block roads as well as charging them with conspiracy offences which carry maximum 10-year jail terms.
Essex’s chief constable BJ Harrington warned it was “only a matter of time” before someone was killed in a Just Stop Oil protest. He told The Daily Telegraph: “The only way this is going to stop is if Just Stop Oil frankly grow up and realise they are putting people’s lives at risk.”