Anti-ULEZ vs Sadiq Khan

January 27th saw the one year anniversary of the first Anti-ULEZ protest in Trafalgar Square.

This pivotal moment in 2023 brought a large number of disparate people together to demonstrate their frustration at Sadiq Khan’s proposed extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. No-one could quite understand how this had happened – I mean there was a consultation where the result was firmly against, particularly in the outer boroughs, so surely this wouldn’t go ahead? However Sadiq Khan had signed the contract and bought the cameras before the consultation happened or any results were published.

This day started a movement that has grown and expanded much like the ULEZ zone itself. Once August 29th came and went and the Zone went live, the resistance stepped up. No, Sadiq, we are not going away, it will not just die down and we will not accept this unwanted driving tax you have imposed on us.

Sadiq Khan’s lies started way back and continued ever since. The toxic air myth, the 4,000 deaths, the fact that one in ten cars seen driving are compliant, his continued belief that this is the right thing when we can all see how wrong it is, and someone who says he is listening to Londoners – has never some to listen to the Outer Boroughs, many of which are more countryside than city. There were a lot of complaints to the ASA and they finally decided that he had mislead the public with TV and radio advertising.

ULEZ Protests

The protests continue unabated as we come up with more inventive ways to spread awareness and thwart the system. Havering put on a family fun day with games and a raffle – prizes included a replica ULEZ camera, replica full size ULEZ Zone souvenir signs and a Bladerunner Starter Kit.

The Bexley and TW Blockers regularly stop the cameras recording at key junctions around areas at opposite sides of London, Chessington blocked a clear path to the A3, and Biggin Hill started preventing the installation of the electrical boxes and poles – keeping Biggin Hill ULEZ free.

Inspired by these hardy lot, Sutton came up with the seemingly impossible idea that all the cameras throughout the whole borough could be disabled at once. With just over a couple of weeks until the chosen date, around 400 people were mobilised to pull this off using blockers with placards, bags and boxes etc. The response to the call for helpers was incredible, and more and more people came on board, including some passing members of the public. There was help from all the other boroughs, Chessington, TW, Hillingdon, Bromley, Bexley, showing just what we are capable of when we get together.

This event attracted a lot of publicity with lives from Sky News and GB News. The Telegraph reporters toured the borough in Kingsley Hamilton‘s red bus to see the 20 or so junctions that were being blocked and reported back. Talk TV interviewed the local MP and Ross Lydall at The Standard got the numbers all wrong.

We are hoping that this renewed energy will continue as more events are planned – including Biggin Hill on 17th, Barking on 25th and a Croydon Awareness and Blocking Day on Sunday 3rd March.