A woman protesting noisy overnight roadworks was arrested early Sunday morning after lying down in the middle of a street in east London. The 52-year-old lay spread out on the torn-up road surface on Trafalgar Way in the Isle of Dogs at 1:14 a.m. on August 16.
She reportedly demanded that the loud construction work cease, stating that residents needed to sleep. A passerby, Farid Qureshi, 45, recorded the scene. "It was weird," Qureshi told the Daily Mail. "I couldn't speak to her, but she was alone. I'm not sure if she was drunk or going home after a party."
Police arrived and spoke with the woman, who stated her reasons for protesting. Despite efforts to persuade her to move, she remained in the road and was arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace. Construction workers and officers can be seen in the video footage, with one worker heard exclaiming, "This is unbelievable, what's going on?"
She was subsequently taken to a local hospital as a precaution for minor injuries. It is not clear how she sustained these injuries. While at the hospital, officers determined there were no grounds for her continued detention, and she was de-arrested. Authorities spoke with her and issued a warning, and no further action was taken.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident, stating that officers were called to reports of a woman obstructing traffic. They confirmed she was de-arrested at the hospital. Tower Hamlets Council and Heidelberg Materials have been contacted for comment regarding the roadworks.