An ambulance heading to an emergency has been blocked as Just Stop Oil protesters clashed with police on a bridge in London.
The ambulance, which had its blue lights on, was trapped on Waterloo Bridge due to congestion caused by Just Stop Oil, police said.
But JSO has hit back and said it was the Met police blocking the ambulance so they could “blame it on a protest march going in the other direction”.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the Met police said: “This is some of the congestion which JSO are causing on Waterloo Bridge.
“One of the vehicles is an ambulance on blue lights which is not able to get past. Officers are continually telling the activists to move out the road so it can pass while making arrests.”
A JSO activist lies down on Waterloo Bridge, where an ambulance was blocked
(Martyn Wheatley / i-Images)
Police arrest two activists on Waterloo Bridge, where an ambulance was blocked
(Martyn Wheatley / i-Images)
However, the activist group said it was police blocking the ambulance so they could blame it on their protest going in the other direction.
“Just Stop Oil will always move out of the road for emergency vehicles showing blue lights,” the group wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
More than 40 activists were arrested and moved from the road, police said. London Ambulance Service has been approached for comment.
It comes after two Just Stop Oil protesters smashed the glass of a 17th century painting at London’s National Gallery on Tuesday.
“Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words. It is time to Just Stop Oil,” the female protestor said after smashing the glass.
A male activist added: “Politics is failing us. If we love history, if we love art, and if we love our families we must Just Stop Oil.”
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.