Just Stop Oil protesters interrupt opera at Glyndebourne festival

Just Stop Oil protesters have interrupted a performance during the Glyndebourne opera festival in East Sussex by letting off glitter cannons and blowing air horns.

The disruption took place during a performance on Thursday of Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites at the festival near Lewes.

The incident occurred at about 5.30pm and the opera restarted after a delay of about 20 minutes.

A Glyndebourne spokesperson said the incident was formally reported to police but officers were not on site and no arrests had been made.

The stage was cleared and ushers peacefully escorted the three protesters from the theatre within a minute, she said. The audience remained inside and were given regular updates.

“We are very sorry to everyone whose visit to Glyndebourne was affected by the protest action today,” the spokesperson told the BBC.

“Our highest priority was the safety and security of everyone on site and we would like to thank our staff and performers, whose calm and professional response kept everyone safe, and disruption to a minimum.”

Just Stop Oil posted video footage of the protest on social media and tweeted: “Three Just Stop Oil supporters briefly interrupted @glyndebourne opera festival with the old news that new oil and gas is incompatible with a liveable future, and that our government want to go ahead with it anyway.

Glitter cannons and air-horns were set off during ‘Dialogues des Carmelites’, an opera featuring numerous characters condemned to death. Sound familiar?

“We are running out of time. Take action with Just Stop Oil.”

Earlier on Thursday, more than a dozen Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested during slow marches through London as new legislation came into force giving police officers greater powers to intervene and prevent disruption.

Fifty-four supporters, across four groups, marched on the A406 at Hanger Lane, west London, and at Battersea Bridge in south London.

Nine of the activists were arrested by police after refusing to comply with a section 12 order, which places conditions on protests if they are deemed to be causing “serious disruption”.

The marches continued later by Vauxhall Bridge, where police arrested seven more people for the same offence.

cover photo:The incident occurred at about 5.30pm and the opera restarted after a delay of about 20 minutes. A festival spokesperson said no arrests had been made. Photograph: Chris Collins