Just Stop Oil activist who targeted Queen's Platinum Jubilee and Pride bailed after 'dirty protest' at Sunak's home
26 June 2024, 09:58 | Updated: 26 June 2024, 12:02
The activist who was arrested for a 'dirty protest' at the Prime Ministers home is a regular Just Stop Oil protester who stormed the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee procession, held up London Pride and was spared jail for an Esso oil terminal raid.
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Oliver Clegg, a 21-year-old student protester from Manchester, appeared to carry out a disgusting act at Mr Sunak's Grade-II listed Georgian manor house in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Read More: Yvette Cooper slams 'pathetic' Just Stop Oil as she brands Stonehenge stunt a 'total disgrace'
Clegg has repeatedly gloated about his antics on social media.
He was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and £250 in costs in February 2023 after he was arrested for blocking Birmingham's Esso Fuel Terminal in April 2022.
Further protests include him blocking London's Pride march last year by sitting in front of a Coca-Cola truck.
In social media posts he gloated of his illegal exploits and boasted of the 'excellent photos' newspapers had taken of him being arrested.They share images of him repeatedly being taken away by police at the Grays Oil terminal in Essex, on the pitch at Tottenham vs West Ham and after 30 hours on an oil terminal in Glasgow.
After his antics at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee procession, he said: "Hopefully made the jubilee a little less boring! And drew attention to the fact that the royal familyowns a ludicrous one sixth of the earth's land!
"Despite all of their greenwash, the royal family does not use this land to plant forests or restore nature. Instead huge amounts of it are used for animal agriculture producing emissions that are driving the destruction of the climate and the deaths of many of the queen's own subjects."
Yesterday police said four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass following the incident at the Prime Minister's home. Today police said they had been released on bail.
The incident occurred while Mr Sunak was in London attending event relating to the Japanese state visit.
Footage shows Clegg walking through a garden gate wearing wellies and a yellow coat, before taking it off to reveal the "Eat s*** Rishi" shirt as he waded into the lake and squatted down.
Youth Demand, which uploaded the footage, describes themselves as "a youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide", said the "political system is broken" and called for activists to join them for a week of action in London from July 13.
In a press release, they tried to make jokes about "making a splash" at the Prime Minister's property and the Government leaving the country "up s*** creek". They also released photographs of Clegg being caught by a police officer.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "We have arrested four people in the grounds of the Prime Minister's constituency home this afternoon.
"Our officers were with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds.
"They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
"The men aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and inquiries are ongoing."
A spokesperson for the group said that three of those arrested were taking part in the demonstration, while the fourth was an independent photographer.
It comes after four Greenpeace activists scaled Mr Sunak’s Yorkshire home last August in protest agains the UK’s North Sea oil and gas expansion.
The activists climbed the prime minister's home using ladders and ropes before covering it in oil-black fabric covers.
Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, Alexandra Wilson, 32, and Michael Grant, 64, and Mathieu Soete, 38, pleaded not guilty to criminal damage as they go to a two-day trial in July.
