In a fiery exchange with Sky News’ Mark Austin, Indigo Rumbelow insisted the climate crisis is going to get “worse and worse and worse if we don’t act”. Appearing on The News Hour With Mark Austin, Ms Rumbelow described the situation as “incredibly serious” and said Just Stop Oil has a simple demand – to stop the government licensing new gas and oil in the UK. Explainer: Who are Just Stop Oil? “We need everyone to come and join us so we don’t have to cause this kind of disruption on the highways,” he said. “We have to sit outside parliament with tens and tens of thousands of people calling for new oil and gas to be stopped.” Ms Rumbelow added: “It is very clear that the unrest will end once the government issues a statement to stop new oil and gas. “The protests will have to continue because, right now, I just don’t know what else we’re going to do.” The campaigner was interviewed as police forces try to deal with protests that have caused severe delays on Britain’s busiest motorway. The protesters’ actions were described as “criminal, reckless and dangerous” by Essex Police Chief Constable BJ Harrington, who warned it was “a matter of time” before someone was killed. He spoke after a police officer was injured in a two-lorry collision while responding to a protest on the M25. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 3:54 Sky’s Martin Brunt is near junction eight of the M25 in Surrey, where Just Stop Oil protests have taken place for the fourth day running. But when asked if Just Stop Oil’s message was being “lost” in an angry debate about their methods, Ms Rumbelow said: “The climate crisis is upsetting people all over the world right now and even here in the UK Kingdom this summer we saw the effects of the climate crisis. “With the UK in 40C heat and birds falling from the sky and pensioners dying before their time. “This is not just an issue of green politics or just climate protesters, it’s an issue that will affect you, it will affect me, it will affect your children if you have children and it affects people all over the world. So our government’s decision to go ahead with new oil and gas knowing full well that it will kill millions of people is a complete act of betrayal for my generation.” Read more: Video reveals queues caused by M25 protests Failure to act on climate is unprecedented suicide deal, UN chief warns He accepted the unrest was not “pleasant”, adding: “We feel empathy for all those people out there”, but insisted action was necessary for the Government to listen.
