Hundreds of Ulez protestors have blocked “every single camera” in a London borough as the uproar over Sadiq Khan’s controversial scheme continues.
400 people took to the streets across Sutton in South London on Sunday in demonstrations which saw over 80 cameras covered up.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) was extended across the capital last year in a move that saw close to 90 per cent of Sutton covered by the scheme overnight.
Ulez regulations mean drivers of ‘non-compliant’ vehicles would have to pay a daily charge of £12.50 – which saw fierce opposition among the public.
Protestors slammed Ulez
PA
Protester Neil Gosling told GB News yesterday: “We are protesting today because we all want clean air, but Sadiq Khan cannot do anything but lie.
“I’ve got several non-compliant vehicles that all meet EU emissions but don’t meet TfL’s emissions. I’ve got motorcycles that are non-compliant that are beneath the level, but it’s just about trying to stop this tyranny and have a democratic vote on it.
“This isn’t about clean air – this is about £12.50 and £90 fines. It’s about money for TfL, nothing else, and we all know it. Let’s just play fair. We’ve got low emission vehicles; I’ve got a Fiesta that’s £30 a year road tax because it’s so low emission – and that’s not allowed in London.
“50CC mopeds are not allowed in London, but I can go down the road and buy a new five-litre Lamborghini and that’s compliant, as is Sadiq Khan’s five-litre Range Rover. It’s all false. It’s all false and I want it to end – let’s bring back British democracy.”
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Protestor Neil Gosling told GB News: “This isn’t about clean air… It’s about money for TfL, nothing else.”
GB News
Yesterday afternoon’s protests saw residents holding up signs to block Ulez cameras, allowing motorists to drive through Sutton without incurring any charges.
Activists at Sutton’s Rosehill Roundabout were met with supportive beeping from passing drivers – even those in ‘compliant’ smaller cars.
The Ulez scheme had been criticised for penalising everyday motorists amid a cost-of-living crisis, with some drivers having to take out loans just to afford compliant vehicles.
Kingsley Hamilton, a bus driver and campaigner from the Action Against Unfair Ulez group, said the protest left every single camera across the borough out of action.
Residents covered up Ulez enforcement cameras with protest placards like this
X/BromleyAgainstUlez
Hamilton said there were 107 cameras across Sutton, and a combination of yesterday’s protests and previous camera deactivations meant they were all accounted for.
He told the Telegraph: “We’ve put messages out on social media advertising the fact it is only for three hours, so drivers can do what they would normally do – like visit a relative in hospital, without being fined.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Police are aware of a protest at the Rose Hill Roundabout in Sutton today, Sunday 11 February. The protest passed peacefully and no arrests were made. The group have now left the area.”
GB News has approached the Mayor of London for comment.