So far, eco-zealots from Just Stop Oil have cost the Metropolitan Police \u00a320 million in taxpayer money, with time spent policing rallies amounting to 300 officers taken off frontline duty every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officers have had to carry the eco-clowns off the roadways because they refuse to engage with the police as a result of the activists’ protestations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police have been granted more authority to pull them off the streets they are blocking as people go about their daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since last October, 657 Just Stop Oil demonstrators have been arrested and 338 have been charged for unauthorised protests. The remaining 308 are currently out on bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To date, the group has received \u00a319.9 million in funding, with \u00a33.5 million spent since October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police have the authority to arrest anyone who “interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people have been arrested multiple times and are facing multiple counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On one instance, the police used the additional powers to make 79 arrests in 20 minutes to disperse a protest in downtown London’s Whitehall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This autumn, the Met claimed 10,500 officers’ shifts were used, costing at least \u00a33.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘The new Public Order Act permits us to deal with persons who are causing damage to critical national infrastructure,’ Mr Gordon added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘It does allow us to deal with persons who come onto the roadways and cause a blockage much more proactively.’<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So far, eco-zealots from Just Stop Oil have cost the Metropolitan Police \u00a320 million in taxpayer money, with time spent policing rallies amounting to 300 officers taken off frontline duty … <\/p>\n