Arrests as Just Stop Oil protesters block traffic at famous Abbey Road crossing

Four protesters have been arrested after Just Stop Oil activists blocked traffic at the famous Abbey Road crossing in London.

The controversial climate activist group said four demonstrators glued themselves on to the crossing – which featured on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road – shortly after 1pm on Sunday.

It prompted anger from motorists who sounded their horns as they were unable to pass the protesters.

Video footage posted on social media showed the protesters, wearing orange high-vis jackets, holding a banner on the crossing reading Just Stop Oil.

The Metropolitan Police said officers went to the scene and four protesters were arrested for wilful obstruction of the highway.

They were taken into custody at a central London police station, the force added.

Both carriageways of Abbey Road were cleared by 2.40pm, according to the Met.

One of the protesters, Shaun Davies, 32, echoed the words of late Beatle George Harrison who said: “We’re now the results of our past actions, and in the future we’ll be the results of the actions we’re performing now”.

Mr Davies added: “Never have his words rang more true than they do today; so here we are, in his spirit, saying that what we do in the next three years will determine the future of humanity.

“Let’s not sleepwalk into the furnace; let’s face our fears and act with love and courage to save all the wonderful culture humankind has created.”

Protester Eben Lazarus, 22, from Brighton, said: “I’m a musician, I don’t want to be here disrupting the most iconic location associated with a band I admire and love. But unless we tackle the climate crisis, we will lose all that has been created, all that will be created, all that brings joy and comfort to millions.”

Just Stop Oil said Sunday was their 23rd day of civil unrest.

The group said it would continue to “peacefully resist the government’s plans to licence over 100 new oil and gas projects by 2025, and its failure to fulfil its promise to help people with their skyrocketing energy bills”.

Previous Just Stop Oil protests have included activists scaling the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge 200ft above the Dartford Crossing, which had to close for 36 hours and caused six-hour delays around much of the M25.

Two Just Stop Oil protesters also threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery in London.

On Sunday, the group praised activists in Germany who threw mashed potatoes over Claude Monet’s Les Meules painting, which sold for $110m in 2019.