Just Stop Oil laugh and joke with officers as they get a police escort with ... trends now
Just Stop Oil activists brought central London traffic to a standstill once again today with a slow march as they ramp up their eco campaign, and were seen laughing and joking with police officers who escorted them.
The eco-warrior group has been blocking roads by slow-marching along the street, with police following behind them without taking action to stop the disruption.
Video footage shows protesters walking slowly outside the Barbican centre holding banners saying 'just stop new oil' while chanting 'no new oil, no new gas'.
Oscar Bailey, 26, from London said: 'I'm taking action because I'm tired of government inaction on the biggest issue of our generation, possibly in the history of our species. We know the problem, we know the solution, as a society we just need to enact it.'
The activists' campaign for the government to end all new oil and gas has seen direct, disruptive action which has included blocking roads and targeting famous works of art.
Alex De Koning, a spokesman for Just Stop Oil, told Sky News that targeting artworks 'marked an escalation' in the group's action and warned it will 'continue to escalate unless the government meets our demand'.
Just Stop Oil protestors blocked streets in north London today by slow-marching along the street
Met Police officers joke with the protestors as they march along the street in North London
The eco-zealots also passed by the Barbican centre as part of their protest, blocking traffic in central London this morning
An officer extends his hand to a Just Stop Oil protestor known as 'Irish Sean' as the group blocks the roads
The 24-year-old added: 'If things need to escalate then we're going to take inspiration from past successful movements and we're going to do everything we can.
'If that's unfortunately what it needs to come to, then that's unfortunately what it needs to come to.
'We're fighting for our lives, why would we do any less?'
Asked if future protests could involve slashing artwork, he said: 'It could potentially come to that at one point in the future, yeah.'
De Koning, who describes himself as a 'climate scientist' said the activists could follow the suffragettes who 'violently slashed paintings in order to get their messages across'.
De Koning, who according to the Times took a break from his PhD in green hydrogen production at the University of Newcastle, also confirmed more disruption is planned in the lead up to Christmas.
Met police officers have been escorting protestors as they march through London on their demonstration
Protesters holding signs saying 'just stop new oil' as they disrupt traffic trying to get around the capital
Just Stop Oil activists in central London this morning - they are on a new slow march
A white van driver shouts at activists as they block the road in Islington this morning
The delivery driver gestures as Just Stop Oil activists protested against oil and gas projects
Last month two Just Stop Oil activists appeared in court accused of throwing soup on a Van Gogh painting.
Anna Holland, 20, from Newcastle, and Phoebe Plummer, 21, from Lambeth, south-west London, both pleaded not guilty to criminal damage to the frame of Van Gogh's painting in a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 15.
Holland and Plummer spoke only to confirm their name, date of birth, addresses and to enter pleas of not guilty to criminal damage to the value of less than £5,000.
District judge Tan Irkam released the pair on bail on the condition they do not enter galleries or museums and do not have paint or adhesive substances in a public place.
He set their trial for December 13 at City of London Magistrates' Court.
Heinz tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh's £76 million masterpiece at the National Gallery
Plummer and Holland pleaded not guilty to criminal damage to the frame of Van Gogh's painting
A lawyer for climate activists last week suggested they may have 'increased' the value of a Vincent Van Gogh painting after two of them glued themselves to its frame at a London art gallery.
Just Stop Oil supporters Emily Brocklebank, 23, and Louis McKechnie, 22, have been found guilty of causing £2,000 of criminal damage to the frame.
Ms Brocklebank received a 21-day sentence and has been suspended for six months. However, she is subject to an electronically monitored six-week curfew. Meanwhile, Mr
