(London) Five environmental activists from the group Just Stop Oil were arrested on Wednesday evening after they interrupted a performance of the musical “Les Miserables” in London and chained themselves to the stage, police said.
Published at 8:00 am.
“At around 9pm (Wednesday) police were called to a protest outside a theater on Shaftesbury Avenue. Officers were quickly on scene and five people were arrested,” the Metropolitan Police said on X.
According to a press release from Just Stop Oil, four activists took the stage with flags as the actors sang the protest song “Do You Hear The People Sing?” » (“At the Will of the People”), one of the most famous musical comedies.
They then chained themselves to the stage with bicycle locks, said the group, which was known for its hard-hitting actions that earned it the hostility of the conservative government and part of public opinion.
“Just like the revolutionaries in this story, (activists) are calling on us to take a stand against the government’s criminal plans to deplete our oil and gas reserves and to join civil resistance against new fossil fuels,” he.
The activists were booed by the audience at the Sondheim Theater. The show did not continue after its hiatus.
“In line with our safety protocols, the audience was asked to leave the venue and the Met Police attended,” said William Village, managing director of Delfont Mackintosh Theaters, which owns the Sondheim Theater in London’s West End.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have time to finish the performance. “While we recognize the importance of freedom of expression, we must also respect the right of our audience to enjoy the event for which they have paid,” he stressed.
Activists are criticizing the British government’s approval of the exploitation of the Rosebank oil and gas field in the North Sea, just days after London postponed the ban on sales of new thermal cars to 2035 and pushed back on a ban on oil, LPG or coal-fired boilers.