Dartford Crossing M25 partially closed due to Just Stop Oil protests  

The clockwise side of the road has been shut, with traffic queueing for eight miles from junction 30 at Lakeside to junction one at Dartford.  

It comes after Just Stop Oil has urged people not to travel on the M25 this week after vowing to carry out protests on the motorway. 

The protests are in response to the extreme temperatures in the UK.

Photo from Dartford Crossing. Credit: @Bangers173 Twitter (PA)

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In a statement on the Just Stop Oil website, the group said: “We fully acknowledge the cost and disruption this will cause to the public and ask that they take their demands for compensation to the government which has caused this unprecedented threat to our lives and liberties. 

“This is the necessary first step to ensuring a liveable future.  

“The UK government’s failure to take that step is a criminal dereliction of its fundamental duty: to protect and safeguard the lives of its citizens.” 

Essex Police also tweeted: “The M25 in Thurrock between J30 and J31 has been closed while we respond to reports of people on the gantry above the road.

Photo issued by Just Stop Oil of one of their activists who has climbed a motorway sign on the M25 at Dartford (PA)

“We’re working to resolve the incident as quickly and safely as possible but please avoid the area.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding.”

The group chose the M25 as the site of the action as it is “the place where we confront the carbon economy headlong and bring our resistance into full public view. The M25 has a kind of iconic status as the motorway from hell, doesn’t it? So it’s a reference to that”.

The group is demanding that the Government make a “meaningful statement” that it will commit to stop licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK, which it says is “the necessary first step to ensuring a liveable future”.

Photo issued by Just Stop Oil of one of their activists who has climbed a motorway sign on the M25 at Dartford (PA)

The environmental protest group said more members are on their way, as part of planned action between Wednesday and Friday. 

Demonstrators have also climbed signs at junction 10 eastbound near Cobham, Surrey, and at the Poyle interchange in Heathrow between junctions 14 and 15. 

In a full statement on the Just Stop Oil website, the group said: "This is without doubt the most important moment in UK history.

"All time temperature records are being obliterated, thousands of people are expected to die from heatstroke and the liars and plotters who are vying to lead us are too busy fighting among themselves to even care.

"This is the moment when climate inaction is truly revealed in all its murderous glory for everyone to see: as an elite driven death project that will extinguish all life if we let it. 

"The criminals that have our democracy by the throat are currently overseeing the destruction of everything that is needed for society and the state to function.

"By continuing to allow and expand fossil fuel production they are sealing our fate. Europe will see heat waves surpassing  50oC in the near future and these will become more and more common.

"The Middle East and North Africa face 60oC heatwaves lasting months. It is clear that our society will collapse within the next two decades.

"Allowing this to happen is a crime without parallel in our history. It is the ultimate betrayal of the next generation.

"It is an act of mass genocide against billions of the poorest people in the poorest countries on earth. It is treason – plain and simple.

"As citizens, as humans, as sons and daughters and mothers and fathers we have every right under British law to protect ourselves and those we love. We will not stand by, we will do what is necessary. We will resist.

"We are therefore declaring the M25 a site of civil resistance against our criminal government.

"We ask that no one travels on this motorway from Wednesday to Friday this week as we will be blocking the highway.

"We fully acknowledge the cost and disruption this will cause to the public and ask that they take their demands for compensation to the government which has caused this unprecedented threat to our lives and liberties. 

"We have a clear demand: that the UK government makes a statement that it will immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.

"This is the necessary first step to ensuring a liveable future.

"The UK government’s failure to take that step is a criminal dereliction of its fundamental duty: to protect and safeguard the lives of its citizens. 

"We are working in coalition with other groups to escalate civil resistance to force a government response.

"We are all in this together and we have all been betrayed. We need everyone now, to step up and take action.

"Join us on 23rd July for a march and sit down in Westminster along with thousands of ordinary people from the progressive labour movement, faith communities, charities, social institutions and environmental groups to help create mass civil resistance with We All Want to Just Stop Oil. 

"Every person counts, every person can take us one step closer to winning the fight of our lives."

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