Boos as Just Stop Oil activists disrupt Les Mis to ‘lock themselves’ to stage
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A production of Les Misérables in the West End has been evacuated tonight (October 4) after Just Stop Oil protesters locked themselves to the stage.
Crowds were heard booing as four activists stormed the set, waving flags bearing the anti fossil-fuel organisation's logo and name. Posting a video of the protest to X (formerly Twitter), the group said: "Just Stop Oil interrupt Les Mis. 4 people are locked to the stage of the French-revolution-themed show.
"Valjean steals bread to feed a starving child. How long before we are all forced to steal? The fossil fuel show can't go on."
Others took to the social network to share their own footage of the incident, which saw confused crowds exiting the circle following the disruption. "This is crazy – Les Mis in the west end evacuated after Just Stop Oil protest on the stage," one post was captioned.
The organisation then posted a second video detailing their reasons for interrupting tonight's show. A Just Stop Oil member, 22-year-old student Hannah, appeared in a clip on the group's website and social media pages to explain: "Les Mis is about the June rebellion where ordinary people stood up [and] organised themselves against a government that consistently showed no interest in their wellbeing.
"I'm taking action with Just Stop Oil because the UK government has approved hundreds of gas and oil licences, knowing the full consequences this will have on our climate and our society."
Another protester, Noah, 18, said he had joined in the protest as his "whole life has been overshadowed" by the climate crisis, but that governments continued not to act. "I'm not willing to sit by and let them do that," he added.
But others weren't convinced. One person took to X to write: "Let's just applaud the staff members who cleared the stage, kept the actors safe and got the curtain down! these are just groups of people who are trying to do their jobs. I don't think disrupting les mis is the way to get the government's attention."
The Metropolitan Police said: "At approximately 21:00hrs on Wednesday 4 October police were called to reports of a small number of protesters at a theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue.
"Officers are on scene and dealing."
- Breaking News
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