Angry mother told to ‘think about the dolphins’ during Just Stop Oil protest

An angry mother whose son was delayed on his way to an appointment by a Just Stop Oil protest has been told to “think about the dolphins”. Activists from the climate action group walked slowly in front of traffic in Camden during rush hour on Tuesday morning, holding up banners reading “Just Stop Oil”. Police observed the protesters on their walk from Delancey Street to Chalk Farm via Camden Town but did not intervene. Some members of the public showed their support for the march by clapping and cheering as they passed by. However, one angry mother, Ayl, 53, from Camden, confronted the activists. She said: “Come on guys, there’s kids in the bus, they need to go to school, you are parents, aren’t you?” A dogwalker, who appeared to be supportive of the protesters, told the woman to “think about the dolphins that are dying”. The woman replied: “What are animals? Are they human? Please!” The dogwalker then turned to the activists and said: “This is why you need to protest, because no-one cares about animals.”

Speaking after the incident, Ayl said: “I am upset because my son has an appointment for over a month. “Now, today, he is going to miss that appointment. “They might not be able to see him now until next month. He needed to attend that office today. “There are a lot of kids in that bus; they need to go to school.” She said the protest was “unfair”. “They could do it after the kids are in school,” she said. “Then I can understand.” She added: “I am very angry.” Addressing the public, Just Stop Oil activist Sophie, 30, said the protest is “the scariest thing” she has done. “I don’t want to be here,” she said. “This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done but I am terrified. I’m just an ordinary person.” She said she marched because she wants to have children. She said: “But how can I bring a child into this world when the Government are not safeguarding our future?” Once the protesters arrived at Chalk Farm they packed up their signs and dispersed.

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