Yvette Cooper slams 'pathetic' Just Stop Oil as she brands Stonehenge stunt a 'total disgrace'
25 June 2024, 10:21 | Updated: 25 June 2024, 12:03
Labour's Yvette Cooper has slammed Just Stop Oil as "pathetic" as she branded their recent action at Stonehenge as a "total disgrace".
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Just Stop Oil have carried out several stunts in recent weeks, including vandalising Stonehenge with orange powder and spraying private jets with orange paint at Stansted Airport.
When asked about toughening up action against the eco mob, Ms Cooper said: "Just Stop Oil is just pathetic - it was just awful what we saw at Stonehenge and a total disgrace.
"Police have powers to take enforcement action and we will back them all the way against these groups.
"I think they are idiots who are potentially damaging our national heritage and they shouldn't be getting away with it."
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Mr Cleverly said the Tories would also introduce further measures to deal with protesters.
"We have been tougher," he said. "We've brought in specific legislation and we will continue to do so to make sure that these people who damage property, damage our heritage, damage art work and disadvantage and inconvenience hard working people... we've already brought in measures and we will continue to do so.
"What they are doing is not only counterproductive, it's dangerous, it's stupid, it's vandalism. Pure and simple."
It comes after LBC analysis uncovered that only four Just Stop Oil protesters have served prison time after being sentenced for blocking roads and defacing national monuments.
Members of the climate action group have been arrested a total of 3,122 times since it was founded in February 2022, according to data obtained by LBC.
But just 0.1% have served time behind bars after being sentenced for their crimes, leading to calls for the next government to further clamp down on the activists.
Just Stop Oil has said it is planning a "sustained period of action" in a bid to disrupt summer holidays.
It is preparing to turn its attention to airports as part of a major wave of travel disruption affecting family trips abroad.
The group previously said in a statement: "Just Stop Oil supporters know they risk arrest and even prison.
"The social science says civil disobedience is the best way to bring about rapid social change, and the natural science says we are in a catastrophic climate emergency and that unless we change course rapidly this will result in the death and suffering of billions of human beings.
"The UK government has become increasingly repressive it beggars belief that they are willing to go to these lengths instead of fulfil their legally binding climate promises."
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