Just Stop Oil Protests Cost Met Police Nearly £20 Million

Police said that in October they had the ‘highest number of arrests ever recorded’ in response to mass unlawful disruption.

Just Stop Oil activists are detained by police officers during a demonstration in Parliament Square, Westminster, central London, on Oct. 30, 2023. Stefan Rousseau/PA

Policing the eco-activists Just Stop Oil (JSO) has cost taxpayers nearly £20 million, according to Metropolitan Police figures.

In a statement on Thursday, the Met said that since JSO’s first campaign in October 2022, £19.9 million had been spent on the group to date, with £3.5 million spent since October this year alone.