Roadblocks caused by Just Stop Oil protests have led to a police officer being sent to the hospital after two lorries knocked him off his bike.
Protestors were climbing the gantries on the 116-mile long M25, prompting the police officer to implement a “rolling roadblock”.
The officer was attempting to ease traffic between Junctions 26 and 27 on the road when two lorries crashed and knocked him off of his motorbike.
BJ Harrington, chief constable of Essex Police, told The Telegraph there was no one to blame “other than Just Stop Oil”.
All parts of the M25 in Essex are now open, following the arrest of four protestors.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “I want to thank the public for their support, patience, and understanding this morning.
“I know they’re frustrated and I share those frustrations.
“You just want to get to work, make your hospital appointment, take your children to school.
“Already this week we’ve heard how grieving families have been prevented from saying goodbye to a loved one.
“And this has all been done while the safety of the public and our officers is being put at risk.
“We will continue to work to resolve these situations as quickly as possible to keep Essex moving and take action where crimes are being committed.”
One road user, Tony missed his father’s funeral where he was set to be a pallbearer due to the protests, the man told BBC Essex “I will never, ever forgive these people.”
“I will never, ever forgive these people.” https://t.co/k1mqGXcHUl
Tony missed his father’s funeral in Pitsea – where he was due to be a pallbearer – because of protestors on the M25 on Monday.
Full story on BBC Sounds, click the link above. pic.twitter.com/E7tybuOUoK
— BBC Essex (@BBCEssex) November 8, 2022
Just Stop Oil has shifted the blame, claiming that if the UK government stopped “dirty oil and gas” this would not have happened.
The activist group commented: “The level of disruption being witnessed on the M25 should not be happening – people are rightly angry and frustrated. The impact on people’s lives is huge.
“In normal circumstances, this would be unacceptable. It should never have come to this.
“The failure of our politics has left us with no other option as we seek to protect our rights and freedoms from a collapse in law and order due to a heating world.
“The government can end this, immediately, by ending dirty new oil and gas. The failure to abandon this toxic policy is a failure of politics and failure of leadership, it is a betrayal of us, our children and this country.”
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