Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists have been accused of blocking an ambulance with “blue lights on” as it tried to make its way through a demonstration on a bridge in London.
Police said they estimate officers made more than 40 arrests after activists failed to move out of the road on Waterloo Bridge, with some slow marching towards The Strand.
The Metropolitan Police said the march was causing traffic to be held up on the bridge, including an ambulance with “blue lights on”.
Shortly after, JSO posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that it was police officers who appeared to be blocking the ambulance “so they can blame it on a protest march going in the other direction”.
Two photos shared by the Met appeared to show the congestion.
“This is some of the congestion which JSO are causing on Waterloo Bridge,” police said.
“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.”
Police had earlier warned activists slow marching on Waterloo Bridge that if they did not move out of the road to continue their demonstration, they would make arrests.
A group of five JSO activists, who were part of the original demonstration on Waterloo Bridge, then moved the slow march to The Strand, officers said.
“These are the final activists in the road. Officers are with them and making arrests,” they added.
Police later confirmed all activists were out of the road.
They said the number of those arrested would be confirmed in due course.
It comes after 44 JSO activists were charged following disruption in London on Monday.
The charges include two people who allegedly smashed the glass cover of a painting once famously slashed by a suffragette at the National Gallery, the Metropolitan Police said.
Harrison Donnelly, 20, of Sillitoe Way, Nottingham, and Hanan Ameur, 22, of Hornsey Road, Islington, north London, were charged with causing criminal damage.
The other 42 activists were charged with obstruction of the highway.
On Monday, police made around 100 arrests in Whitechapelas activists took part in a slow march, some of which was held around the Cenotaph.
The campaign group was accused of targeting the war memorial – which it strongly denied, saying activists had been moved to its base by police officers after shutting down traffic on the road.
JSO is calling on the government to stop all new gas and oil projects in the UK in order to tackle the climate crisis.
It is currently carrying out a four-week campaign of demonstrations.
On 1 November, 35 people were arrested after marching down West Cromwell Road in Kensington, and a further 60 were arrested in Parliament Square two days before, on 30 October.
A man has been arrested after a woman in her 80s was killed in a Christmas Day motorway crash.
A white Ford Fiesta and a black Volkswagen Tiguan collided on the A1(M) near Darlington just after 8.30pm, North Yorkshire Police said.
The passenger of the Ford Fiesta, a woman in her 80s from the Durham area, suffered serious injuries and died at the scene.
The car’s driver, a man in his 80s from the Durham area, was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 20s from the Durham area, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
He has now been released under investigation.
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The motorway was closed until around 8am on Boxing Day for collision investigators and National Highways to assess the road surface.
It is now open in both directions but with a lane closure still in place as of 9.30am.
Police have appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage of the crash, which happened on the northbound carriageway between Junction 57 (A66(M) junction) and Junction 58 (Merrybent).
The force also thanked members of the public who assisted at the scene.
Two women have died following reports of a stabbing in Milton Keynes on Christmas Day, police have said.
A dog injured in the incident in Bletchley also died after being taken to the vets.
A man and a teenage boy suffered serious injuries.
A 49-year-old man from Milton Keynes has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and remains in custody.
Officers were called to a block of apartments in Santa Cruz Avenue just after 6.30pm on Christmas Day following reports of a stabbing.
The two women, aged 38 and 24, died at the scene, Thames Valley Police said. Their next of kin have been informed.
The injured man and teenage boy were taken to hospital and are both in a stable condition.
Police said the parties are known to each other.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin said: “Firstly I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the women who have tragically died in this shocking incident.
“We have launched a double murder investigation, which may be concerning to the wider public; however, we have made an arrest and are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident and the parties are known to each other.”
A man has been charged with murdering a woman whose body was found nine days after she went missing.
Police said extensive searches and appeals were launched to find Mariann Borocz after she vanished on 14 December.
Her body was discovered at a property in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on Christmas Eve.
Christopher Barlow, 61, from Bolton, has been charged with her murder and has been remanded in custody ahead of an appearance before magistrates on Thursday.
Greater Manchester Police said Ms Borocz’s family are being supported by specialist officers.
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Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten thanked those who spoke to officers and shared the missing person appeals.
“On behalf of the entire investigation team, our condolences remain with Mariann’s family as they try to come to terms with her death,” he said.
“Our investigation is moving at pace, and we are continuing to work hard to build a full timeline of events leading up to Mariann’s death.
“As part of our investigation, we are once again appealing for additional information from the local community.”