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Rooftop protest halts traffic for 9 hours
Felix Allen2 Dec 2009
A rooftop protest caused traffic chaos across London as police were forced to close a major commuter route for more than nine hours.
Motorists were stuck in jams for up to six hours after the man refused to come down from the roof of a community arts centre in Leytonstone.
Police closed nearby roads as a safety measure, including the eastbound carriageway of the A12 between the A106 Eastway and the Green Man roundabout.
It caused tailbacks stretching more than three miles and affected Hackney, Bethnal Green, Poplar, Whitechapel, Clapton and Leyton, through yesterday afternoon and evening rush hour.
The A12 did not reopen until shortly before midnight after the unnamed man finally came down from the roof after a nine-hour stand-off.
He was arrested on suspicion of affray and causing actual bodily harm in a confrontation on the ground before he went onto the roof.
Scotland Yard said police were called at 2.30pm to reports of a man threatening to jump and negotiators spent hours trying to talk him down.
However, it was also reported he was mounting a protest after he walked into the 491 Gallery, in Grove Green Road, and scaled the chimney stack. He was seen playing a saxophone and throwing tiles off the roof.
Among those caught up in the traffic was the Gillingham football team, who had to play in Leyton Orient's away strip in their 3-1 League One defeat. The players arrived at the Brisbane Road ground minutes before the 7.30pm kick-off but their kit was stuck in the jams.
A spokesman for the 491 Gallery said the man was “in no way associated with this project”. Police said the man was arrested for affray for throwing bricks and tiles to the ground.
They said they shut the A12 because some of the missiles were landing in the road.
Reader views (24)
Are the police even more stupid than they portray them- selves. The cost to London with the police softly softly approach is going to run into the millions. Even if the protester was going to jump. It would have been cheaper. The police work on a cost /crime bases. There should be a public cost/ incident bases/ area closeure. The TFL and mayor's office should rule as to the importance and power of the powers of the incompentent police, on public closeure.
- A Winsley, London England, 03/12/2009 19:49
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@Paul, London: No, he was only feet away from the A12. I have no idea what you think you know, but it's wrong.
- Fact Check, Leytonstone, London, UK, 03/12/2009 13:46
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A spokesman from TFL or bus companies should explain why information wasn’t filtered down to the passengers on the local Bus routes! So at least we could have taken a Train or the tube. All we got was a shrug for the Bus driver & that a road is closed ahead, which one? He shrugged again!
So what will happen to this fool? Jail?, A fine?, Or a pat on the back for giving the Police extra overtime!
- Jade, London, 03/12/2009 13:39
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If he wanted to jump, he should have been encouraged rather than holding the south east to ransom because of the road closures. Encouragement of suicide jumpers should be congratulated not penalised.
How many hundreds of thousands of pounds (or even millions) did this fool cost innocent people? Totally ridiculous.
- Desiren, Gillingham, Kent, 03/12/2009 11:18
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I'm seven-months pregnant and I had to walk home three miles in the freezing cold because of this. At least I could leave my bus, unlike the poor people with cars. Judging from what I've heard I was wiser walking for 90 minutes than sitting in traffice for five, six or maybe seven hours. The traffic wasn't moving at all. All drivers were being so selfish because of their frustration and blocking all the junctions. Even main ones where there are traffic lights. They kept going green then red and still nothing moved so I walked. If police had at least controlled the flow at major junctions, it would have helped restore some order and keep things flowing. They handled this appalingly.
- Dannii, London, 03/12/2009 08:05
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How is it possible??a man on a roof can make many people be on the road for nine hours, without water, food...We were on a bus to Stansted airport, we missed our flight, we had to buy another ticket and pay a hotel near the airport. Who is gonna pay this? The police should be responsible and pay us. I can't believe the way the police 'solved' the problem.
- Marta, Spain, Spain, 03/12/2009 07:31
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Whilst I can sympathise with all the commets here, I think that people need to think logically here. As a policeman I see all sorts of horros and the impacts this has on people. It was the right thing to do shut the A12 and nearby roads as he had already thrown tiles onto these roads presenting to danger to users of the roads. It was only a few roads shut which had the obvious traffic on all surrounding roads. People want police to keep them safe and protect them and when we do they moan. We cant win. And incase you are wondering I was one of the people stuck for hours in this traffic. If this man had caused harm to any of you or people close to you then you would have said why didnt the police do anything about it
- Pc, Dagenham, 02/12/2009 22:51
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This is a Nationwide problem,a couple of months back,the Avon and Somerset Police closed the M5 in both directions for 11 hours,because of a man threatening to jump off the Avonmouth Bridge,35 miles of traffic qued both sides of the Bridge,two people had heart attacks,1 baby was born at the roadside,and all went without food,or water for the duration,NO NEED FOR IT,after 11 hours they stood by and watched the man jump.
- Colin, Bristol, 02/12/2009 16:40
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I do wonder whether this was all in the name of Health and safety.
If I'd been the owner of the gallery I'd have past him a chimney sweep.
- Tony, Hove England, 02/12/2009 16:12
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You want to cause chaos, cause havoc, be dumped on from a great height? Then Call The Police Force.
- Mike, Hertford GB, 02/12/2009 16:09
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The police clearly had reasons to close the road... I am sure that you would all be whinging if you had had a window smashed whilst passing because this fool thre a brick into the road...
I would imagine that surrounding roads were closed too as to stop further traffic entering the congested area...
- Justin, London, 02/12/2009 15:50
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What planet are our Police on? They are so out of touch with reality that it is not suprising the public have little or no support for them. The way they handled this situation shows how incompetent they are.
- Bob, Enfield, 02/12/2009 15:22
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Why did the police close the roads for 9 hours?! Our local police closed off a road, because a school fire alarm went off! This was during rush hour.
What idiots they truly are.
- Darren, london, 02/12/2009 14:47
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The 491 Gallery is to near the A12, it should be closed and knocked down to ensure this does not happen again.
- Karen East London, Leytonstone, 02/12/2009 13:30
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I'm sorry, am I missing something here? Why close numerous roads? why not just close the road surrounding the arts centre?
it took me an hour and a half to travel from Bank to Hackney last night, roads were grid locked
- Ed, London, 02/12/2009 13:28
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Why were the police FORCED to close these roads and create this chaos. Not much control of the situation.
- Mm, Hackney, 02/12/2009 13:19
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As usual the Police caused as much chaos as is possible by closing roads miles away.It seems to me and many that the Police are vindictive.They certainly need to be investigated,they are incapable.
- Kev, London uk, 02/12/2009 13:01
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He could have at least repointed that chimney while he was up there
- Cronk, London, 02/12/2009 12:39
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Did the police have reasonable grounds to believe the man was made of Flubber?? He was at least 150 yards from the A12 (which is also the other side of the Central Line), so why close it? The really galling point is that anyone who had encouraged him to get on with it and jump would have been arrested (as happened with another on a bridge over the M11 last year).
- Paul, London, 02/12/2009 12:35
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I can't believe it, I spent over 7 hours stuck in traffic, burned over £58.00 of fuel and had to pay for another plane ticket £370.00, all because of an idiot.
The police should have means to deal with this sort.
- Mash, London, 02/12/2009 12:22
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What is the justification in closing roads because a man is sitting on the roof. Madness. The police in this country (and I've worked and lived in more than a few) seem to just love closing roads and causing as much chaos as possible. I would go as far to say that it a power thing with them.
- Steve, London, 02/12/2009 11:08
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Ridiculous....... how can some person bring that much chaos.
- Jonny, London, 02/12/2009 09:26
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why close the streets? more police overtime?
- Terry Sullivan, morden england, 02/12/2009 09:24
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I'm glad that the police got to this guy before I did that is all I have to say.
I left work at 3.55pm in SE London to go to Leyton.
The time I got to Leyton and got home was 9.30pm; and all for one nutter!!!
- Natski, East London, GB, 02/12/2009 09:12
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