By Eve Brennan, CNN
Published, Thu October 5, 2023
Just Stop Oil demonstrators interrupt a performance of the musical "Les Misérables" in London on October 4, 2023.Just Stop Oil/Instagram
LondonCNN —
Five climate protesters from the activist group Just Stop Oil disrupted a performance of the musical “Les Misérables” at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End on Wednesday night.
The demonstrators entered the stage during the performance of the song “Do You Hear The People Sing?” carrying orange banners that read “Just Stop Oil” and “The Show Can’t Go On.”
London’s Metropolitan Police posted on social media that local officers were quickly on the scene and arrested five people.
Just Stop Oil said the protesters locked themselves to the set using flexible bicycle locks at around 8:50 p.m. local time, which theater technicians were unable to remove. The performance was halted, and the theater was evacuated by 9:10 p.m.
In a video Just Stop Oil posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, the audience can be heard booing at the protesters and telling them to get off the stage.
“Like the citizens of Paris in 1832, you have locked your doors, while the young face slaughter on the streets. We will inherit a scorched earth, unfit to live in and our politicians will be long gone,” Just Stop Oil said. “We cannot let this stand. The show cannot go on.”
The activist group has also disrupted several major sporting events in England this year, including The Open Championship, Wimbledon, The Ashes and the World Snooker Championship.
Just Stop Oil protest disrupts Les Misérables performance in London
Five arrested after group members storm production, unveiling banners and locking themselves to stage
Jane Clinton
Five arrested after group members storm production, unveiling banners and locking themselves to stage
Jane Clinton
THE GUARDIAN
Wed 4 Oct 2023
Five people have been arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a performance of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End.
During a performance of the song Do You Hear the People Sing? members of the Just Stop Oil group stormed the stage with banners. In a video of the protest posted online, the performance came to a halt as one member shouted “just stop oil”, to boos from the audience.
Technical staff quickly came on stage, the safety curtain came down followed by the main curtain. According to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the group of four protesters then locked themselves to the stage.
In the post on X, the group wrote: “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?”
Hannah Taylor, of Just Stop Oil, was quoted by Sky News as saying: “The show cannot go on. We are facing catastrophe. New oil and gas means crop failure, starvation and death. It is an act of war on the global south and an utter betrayal of young people.”
William Village, chief executive of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, confirmed to WhatsOnStage that the show was stopped and the theatre was evacuated following the protest. Tickets for the performance will be refunded.
The Metropolitan police said: “At about 21.00hrs on Wednesday, 4 October, police were called to a protest inside a theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, WC1. Local officers were quickly on scene and five people have been arrested.”
Five people have been arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a performance of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End.
During a performance of the song Do You Hear the People Sing? members of the Just Stop Oil group stormed the stage with banners. In a video of the protest posted online, the performance came to a halt as one member shouted “just stop oil”, to boos from the audience.
Technical staff quickly came on stage, the safety curtain came down followed by the main curtain. According to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the group of four protesters then locked themselves to the stage.
In the post on X, the group wrote: “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?”
Hannah Taylor, of Just Stop Oil, was quoted by Sky News as saying: “The show cannot go on. We are facing catastrophe. New oil and gas means crop failure, starvation and death. It is an act of war on the global south and an utter betrayal of young people.”
William Village, chief executive of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, confirmed to WhatsOnStage that the show was stopped and the theatre was evacuated following the protest. Tickets for the performance will be refunded.
The Metropolitan police said: “At about 21.00hrs on Wednesday, 4 October, police were called to a protest inside a theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, WC1. Local officers were quickly on scene and five people have been arrested.”
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