Police have closed the QEII Bridge this morning
The pair ascended the two 84m masts on the north side of the bridge at around 4am. They say they intend to stay up there for at least 24 hours.
“The bridge has been closed while we resolve the incident which we will do as quickly and as safely for all involved,” said a spokesperson for Essex Police.
“It does mean that we have had to close the bridge to traffic, but a diversion is going to be put in place through the tunnel.
“This is likely to cause delays throughout this morning and this incident may take some time to resolve due to the complexities of safely getting people down from height.”
There is currently one tunnel open each way in the Dartford Tunnel to allow people to make the crossing. Drivers have been urged to plan their journey.
Morgan Trowland, 39, a bridge design engineer from London, is one of the people who have climbed onto the bridge.
She said: “As a professional civil engineer, each year as I renew my registration, I commit to acting within our code of ethics, which requires me to safeguard human life and welfare and the environment.
“Our government has enacted suicidal laws to accelerate oil production: killing human life and destroying our environment. I can’t challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I’m taking direct action, occupying the QE2 bridge until the government stops all new oil.”
Marcus, 33, a teacher from London, added: “Too many people in this country simply don’t know the scale and intensity of climate breakdown as the scientists describe it. The authorities are criminally failing to get this grim science communicated. During Covid the science was conveyed on a daily basis. Why isn’t the most existential threat that humanity has ever faced on the news every day?
“Our political system is betraying the people of this country. More fossil fuel licenses means global genocide. Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.”
Just Stop Oil supporters have caused continuous disruption over the last two weeks. Police have arrested 450 of them during that period and over 1,700 of them since their campaign began in April. There are currently five members in prison.
The group said it wants the government to commit to “no new oil and gas in the UK”.
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Tags: Essex, Thurrock, Dartford Crossing
