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Dartford Crossing closure: Two people climb up QE2 Bridge Dartford closure: Just Stop Oil protesters climb up QE2 Bridge
(about 2 hours later)
Essex Police said the two people were "currently at height"Essex Police said the two people were "currently at height"
Police have closed a major road linking Essex and Kent after two people climbed up the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Two people who have scaled the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, causing its closure, are Just Stop Oil supporters, the protest group has claimed.
Officers said they received a report at 03:50 BST that the pair had climbed up the bridge. Police closed the bridge, which connects the M25 between Essex and Kent, after reports of climbers at about 03:50 BST.
Essex Police said: "It does mean that we have had to close the bridge to traffic, but a diversion is going to be put in place through the tunnel. Just Stop Oil said it was part of a protest against new government oil and gas licences.
"This is likely to cause delays throughout this morning." A diversion for traffic was put in place via the Dartford tunnel.
Essex Police said the incident "may take some time to resolve due to the complexities of safely getting people down from height".
Traffic has been stopped on the #A282 southbound #QEIIBridge due to a @EssexPoliceUK led incident. Essex Police are at the location and managing the incident. Please allow extra time if travelling and seek an alternative route if possible.. 30 min delays from J30. @DartCharge pic.twitter.com/6jzXLyJBaZTraffic has been stopped on the #A282 southbound #QEIIBridge due to a @EssexPoliceUK led incident. Essex Police are at the location and managing the incident. Please allow extra time if travelling and seek an alternative route if possible.. 30 min delays from J30. @DartCharge pic.twitter.com/6jzXLyJBaZ
The force said the incident "may take some time to resolve due to the complexities of safely getting people down from height".
National Highways East wrote on Twitter that there were "60 minute delays with three miles of congestion on the approach".National Highways East wrote on Twitter that there were "60 minute delays with three miles of congestion on the approach".
The 1.7m-long (2.8km) bridge takes traffic southbound on the A282, which connects the M25 London Orbital Motorway in Essex and Kent. The 1.7m-long (2.8km) bridge takes traffic southbound on the A282, which connects the M25 London Orbital Motorway between Essex and Kent.
Just Stop Oil said the two supporters had ascended the two 84m masts at the north/Essex end of the bridge and called it "an act of resistance against a criminal government".
The group said one of the pair, Morgan Trowland, was a 39-year-old bridge design engineer from London.
Mr Trowland said: "Our government has enacted suicidal laws to accelerate oil production - killing human life and destroying our environment.
"I can't challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I'm taking direct action."
Protesters were dragged away by members of the public in Shoreditch, London, on Sunday
Just Stop Oil says more than 450 of its supporters have been arrested over the last two weeks
The group said more than 450 of its supporters have been arrested during the last two weeks of action.
More than 20 people were arrested on Sunday after some activists glued themselves to the road in Shoreditch High Street in east London.
The High Court issued an interim injunction last year to deter environmental activists from staging demonstrations on the M25.
Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman has described the actions of demonstrators as "self-defeating" and "completely indefensible".
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