Protesters block bridge causing rising tensions as London Bridge area delays ensue

A human rights organisation launched a protest Sunday afternoon along Waterloo Bridge prompting massive delays in the Southwark and London Bridge area. 

Sisters Uncut, a domestic violence awareness organisation, angered by proposed cuts to domestic violence services for minority and LGBTQ+ communities, commenced the protest following Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Autumn Statement on the budget the previous Wednesday. Metropolitan Police blocked Waterloo Bridge and rerouted vehicular and foot traffic to keep the situation from escalating.

Commuters and tourists alike were irate due to the increased gridlock on both Blackfriars and London Bridges. The protests blocked movement in the area for approximately twenty minutes; however, congestion continued well into the late afternoon.

While many commuters were thankful that the organisation was promoting a “good” cause, they were frustrated with the actions taken and the implications it had on drivers, tourists, and TFL passengers.

One pedestrian, who wished not to be named, stated, “some of us have important places to go. I haven’t seen my family in three months and this [gridlock] is keeping me from them. Take the problem to those who can actually make a change.”

Others were more supportive of the protest, many taking to twitter, saying “if [the government] blocks our bridges, we block theirs.” However, commuters in the London Bridge area seemed far less satisfied with the logistical challenges the protest presented.

William Wells

William Wells

22 year old postgraduate and policy advisor, William Wells, was particularly off-put by the incident, his friend even calling it “nonsense.”

We already have a million reasons that our commutes are delayed…this is just another reason why we are always disgruntled on our ride…did they block the roads to bring real change to policy; or did they block the road so they could have dance parties, create chaos, trend on twitter, cause security concerns, and litter the area? Seems like the latter to me.

Metropolitan Police estimate that roughly five traffic disrupting protests occur a week around London. The disenfranchisement of London Bridge commuters may be merited, but relief may not be in the near future.

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