Just Stop Oil protesters disrupt London Pride over ‘polluting’ sponsors

Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted London’s Pride march in protest over the event accepting sponsorship money from “high-polluting industries”.

A number of protesters were arrested after blocking the road in front of a Coca-Cola truck.

The Metropolitan police said protesters sat in the middle of the road on Piccadilly at 1.30pm, causing the parade to stop.

After 16 minutes, police arrested seven protesters for public nuisance offences and the parade continued again one minute later.

Video posted online showed officers picking up protesters and carrying them away.

Just Stop Oil has previously warned it would take action as it called on organisers of the major event to ban floats from “high-polluting” sponsors and to condemn new oil, gas and coal.

In a statement, LGBTQ+ members of the group said: “These partnerships embarrass the LGBTQ+ community at a time when much of the cultural world is rejecting ties to these toxic industries.”

LGBTQ+ people were “suffering first” in the “accelerating social breakdown” caused by the climate crisis, they added.

“Pride was…