Two Northwich residents were among five from Cheshire arrested at a Just Stop Oil protest in central London yesterday.
The 60-strong group of campaigners, from northern England, met outside Downing Street at 11am on Tuesday, October 4, before bringing Westminster to a standstill for a fourth day running.
After marching towards Parliament Square, the protesters established road blocks on all four corners with some gluing themselves to the road surface.
The protests this month have been timed to coincide with the planned launch of a new round of oil and gas licensing in which around 130 new licences for oil and gas projects are likely to be awarded.
Following the disruption, the Metropolitan Police confirmed 54 protesters were arrested in total.
Of those two were from Northwich and three were from Chester.
A Met Police spokesman said: "From 11am, protesters began to assemble at Richmond Terrace before moving on to Parliament Square.
"At about 12.10pm, protesters blocked traffic routes into Parliament Square, five of whom glued themselves to the ground.
"Officers have engaged with protesters, and some left the scene.
"Officers arrested 54 protestors on suspicion of wilful obstruction of the highway. They have been taken into custody at various London police stations where they remain.
"By approximately 2.30pm, officers had re-opened access routes to Parliament Square.”
Just Stop Oil is demanding the government commits to ending all new
UK fossil fuel licenses, and they have vowed to continue the blockages in the capital for at least a month.
A spokesman for the group said: “This is not a one-day event, this is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project.
"Our supporters will be returning – today – tomorrow – and the next day – and the next day after that – and every day until our demand is met – no new oil and gas in the UK.
Before joining the protest in London, Paul Bowers, a Cheshire West and Chester councillor, said: "I have tried every democratic avenue I can before I came here today.
"What I've discovered is that our political system is nowhere near ready to tackle the issue of climate breakdown and I believe now that our only option is nonviolent civil resistance.
"When the country was in mourning for the Queen, our government was busy issuing more than 100 new oil and gas licences and making plans to bring back fracking.
"These plans will lock us into fossil fuel burning for 30 to 40 years. It is hypocrisy beyond belief, to pretend to have our nation's best interests in mind, and then do this.
"Their plans must be stopped."
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