Climate protesters from Just Stop Oil shifted their focus to another issue in Dorset, UK Thursday: immigration.
A charter bus carrying illegal immigrants back to the Bibby Stockholm barge was forced to push its way through a blockade of around 30 brightly dressed protesters, the Daily Mail reports.
The barge was evacuated two months prior due to legionella bacteria being discovered in the water supply. Upon tests confirming the water was clean along with improved fire precautions being put in place, the Home Office ordered the return of around 30 illegal immigrants to their prior accommodations on Thursday. Another 45 are believed to arrive on Friday and Monday.
The chaotic scene showed the group holding an orange sign, matching their vests, which read “NO PRISON SHIPS.” They managed to briefly stop the bus before it began slowly moving forward, pushing many out of the way.
Still, some continued walking with their backs on the bus while others attempted to create more barriers ahead by sitting in the road. The bus driver did not stop moving.
Just Stop Oil posted the clip to X with the caption “INTENT TO KILL.”
“We went on to the road to try to block the coach,” one of the demonstrators, Angela Ditchfield stated. “We assumed he wouldn’t run us down when we were sitting on the road vulnerable.”
“The driver started moving forward,” she continued. “We were saying to the guards: ‘Please don’t commit an attempted murder.’ He kept pushing forward. Some other people lay down. He kept going, others had to pull them out of the way.”
She also stated, “I’d rather he ran me over than take those guys to a death trap,” referring to the barge the illegal immigrants were previously accommodated at.
The group said in a statement “This act is to protect harm to life, to prevent a greater crime from being committed. It is our belief that the UK government is knowingly endangering innocent lives by putting asylum seekers against their will back on to the death trap barge.”
The Home Office said of the protest: “The disruption caused in Portland by a small group of people is totally unacceptable. We are liaising closely with the police as they continue their investigations and to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place.”
Three men were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage due to the demonstration.
A spokesman for the Dorset police stated: The coach was able to continue its journey after a minor delay. Dorset police respects people’s right to lawful protest and where possible we will work with organisers to facilitate people’s rights to demonstrate peacefully.”
“However, we have a duty to ensure those involved act within the law, prevent any public disorder and ensure the local community can go about their lawful activities. Our inquiries into the full circumstances of the incident are ongoing.”
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