This major Sheffield road was blocked by Just Stop Oil protesters causing delays and diversions

Around 20 protesters have blocked Sheaf Street, outside Sheffield Railway Station, and police are currently on the scene.

Some motorists appear to have remonstrated with the Just Stop Oil protesters.

Explaining the reason for the protest, Jane of Just Stop Oil told The Star: “We’re here today because our government is licencing over 100 new fossil fuel projects – that’s oil and gas – and if we do that we’ll be in a situation of runaway climate change and we can’t do anything to stop, essentially, the collapse of civilisation. It’s a genocidal act, it’s against UN recommendations, it’s against scientests, it’s against everything. And we don’t need it, we’ve got enough oil and gas to last us for eight years, and in that time we can transition to clean, green, renewable energy which is actually cheaper, much, much cheaper than oil and gas. So we get lower energy bills, cleaner environment, fresh air to breathe, and less pollution – it’s a no brainer.”

When asked whether she was concerned about the disruption being caused, and the way in which motorists were responding to the action, Jane continued: “We’ve tried everything, we’ve tried petitions, we’ve tried writing to our MPs, we’ve tried protests with placards and it’s not newsworthy, our media ignores that kind of protest now and so the only way we can get into the news and put pressure on the government is by causing disruption. We don’t want to do it, but we’ve got no other option. The other weekend Extinction Rebellion got 100,000 people to London – no coverage. We do this, we get coverage, it’s a sad fact.”

A spokesperson for bus operator, First South Yorkshire, said a number of its routes, including the 120, 73 and 8 services were affected.

Just Stop Oil made national, and international, headlines with another Sheffield protest on April 17, when two protesters entered the playing area during the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, interrupting the first-round match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry.

One of them climbed onto the table to throw orange powder, and the second protestor was apprehended before getting onto the table, before being escorted off the premises.