Essex Police had to close the road due to the demonstration
Just Stop Oil activists climbed on an overhead gantry at junction 31 on Wednesday, 20 July.
Essex Police had to close the clockwise carriageway and put a diversion in place while they dealt with the incident.
Louise Lancaster, 56, was allegedly among the protesters and has been charged with intentionally and/or recklessly causing a public nuisance. It is an offence under new legislation, Section 78 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
She appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 22 July and was remanded into custody to appear at a later day.
Just Stop Oil wants the government to immediately halt all new gas and oil projects in the UK.
Louise said: “The world is burning, it’s got to be obvious now to the people of this country, you have been lied to, fobbed off by the government and media fuelled by the oil barons and their greed.
“We have a serious, serious emergency; action needs to be taken. The government must not licence 40 new oil fields. The government must take swift action to stand by its climate pledges and protect the future for our young people.”
Detective Superintendent, Jon Burgess, said: “While we will always do our best to allow for lawful protest, we will not tolerate behaviour which puts the public and indeed our officers and emergency services colleagues in danger.
“I would urge anyone who plans to carry out what they perceive to be protest by disrupting roads or infrastructure in the coming days and weeks not to – your actions will likely result in you being arrested.”
For more on this story, and the latest on our other local and national news, listen to Time 107.5FM
Tags: Essex, Thurrock, Protest, Just Stop Oil
