SUMMARY
- A peaceful protest inside Knightsbridge by Just Stop Oil campaigners swiftly curtailed by store's security.
- Four activists, including Reverend Bill White, arrested amid a series of Wednesday slow marches.
- The rising cost of managing JSO demonstrations forces the Metropolitan Police to cough up over £5.5 million, increasing security concerns for high-profile events.
In a spirited display of activism, campaigners from Just Stop Oil (JSO) brandished protest signs inside the renowned Knightsbridge department store. This protest was swiftly interrupted when a photographer was abruptly escorted out by the store's security, JSO informed.
Concurrently, Wednesday witnessed a series of peaceful marches. The protesters, numbering 34, were divided into six groups. They took to the streets of Hammersmith, Victoria, Westminster, Kensington, and Tower Bridge starting from the early hours of 8 am. An additional four groups kicked off at 10 am, making their presence felt at Parliament Square.
One of the day's highlights was the arrest of four individuals, including Reverend Bill White, a staunch supporter of JSO. Reverend White, with his recurrent participations in slow marches, had been taken into custody three times this week.
Harrods, offering their take on the situation, stated, "Our store was briefly occupied by a small contingent from Just Stop Oil who staged a minor protest. Swift action by our security team ensured they were promptly removed. The incident caused no disruption to our operations and we continued serving our customers as usual."
This is the most recent event in an ongoing saga of protests staged by JSO since April 24. Their demand is clear: they urge the government to cease the issuance of new licenses for fossil fuel extraction. The cost of managing these demonstrations has proven burdensome for the Metropolitan Police, exceeding £5.5 million on top of the £7.5 million already spent between October and December last year.
With JSO's penchant for using their signature orange powder paint to disrupt high-profile events, Wimbledon authorities have been compelled to amp up their security. This is following the group's recent disruptions at several sporting events such as the second Ashes test at Lord’s, the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham, and the World Snooker Championship. Besides these sporting events, the Chelsea Flower Show and London Pride march also felt the impact of JSO's disruptions.
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