Motorists clash with Insulate Britain climate activists blocking M25
Eco-mob grinds M25 to a HALT: Furious drivers clash with XR splinter group causing traffic mayhem for thousands of motorists by staging sit-down demos at SIX junctions around major motorway
20 demonstrators from Insulate Britain cause chaos at J20 of M25 this morningDriver is filmed trying to drag protester off road in Kings Langley, HertfordshireProtest is one of at least six across M25 today – others are at J3, J6, J14 and J30Insulate Britain is Extinction Rebellion offshoot campaign on heating emissions
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Angry motorists tried to pull climate change protesters off the road today after they blocked a junction near the M25 during the morning rush hour.
Some 20 demonstrators from Insulate Britain, which is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, caused chaos by sitting by traffic lights at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire.
One driver was filmed trying to drag a protester off the road after getting out of their vehicle as the demonstration caused tailbacks along the motorway near junction 20.
Around 50 police officers headed to the scene and stood in a line in front of the protesters before starting to arrest them and put them into vans, reported LBC.
The protest was one of at least six across the M25 today – with four others reported at junctions three at Swanley, six at Godstone, 14 at Heathrow and 30 at Thurrock.
One driver is seen trying a drag a protester off the road at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire today
The man is confronted by other protesters while trying to get the activists off the road today
The protesters caused chaos by sitting on the road at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire today
Insulate Britain is an independent campaign launched on August 20 by members of XR, who want the Government to reduce home heating emissions to zero.
One protester from the organisation told LBC this morning: ‘We are so, so sorry to disrupt people. We want to set the Government a really doable task.’
But motorists vented their fury on social media today, with Bill Templer tweeting Surrey Police to say: ‘Move them! We are stuck on M25.’
Another, Linda Morgan, wrote on Twitter: ‘Blocking the M25 on a Monday morning is madness. Majority of drivers aren’t on there through choice.’
And a third, Kat, added: ‘What about hospital workers getting to work? My husband goes via M25 – should he cancel his morning list?’
Around 50 police officers then headed to the scene and stood in front of the protesters today
Officers took the protesters away and put them into police vans at Kings Langley this morning
Police stand next to the Insulate Britain protesters at junction 20 of the M25 this morning
Police turned up at the scene in Hertfordshire today after Insulate Britain caused chaos
One protesters holds up a ‘sorry to stop you’ sign at the M25 in Kings Langley this morning
This live traffic map from 10am shows the chaos being caused on some sections of the M25
Among the protesters involved was Liam Norton, 36, an electrician from London, who said: ‘Since waking up to the crisis we are all in, due to the catastrophic breakdown in our climate, I have been shocked at the lack of significant action from our government.
‘They need to face up to reality. It will destroy our economy and the fabric of our society. They are being incredibly reckless.
‘They are betting the farm on technologies that don’t exist. A stitch in time saves nine which means if we spend money now we’ll stop a catastrophe later down the line.
‘It’s a no brainer. Insulating Britain will reduce emissions, provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and stop our elderly dying in cold homes each winter.
‘So stop messing about, Boris, and get on with the job. As soon as a statement is made that we can trust and is meaningful we will get off the roads.’
Insulate Britain issued this photograph of the protest at an unidentified location this morning
Police stand next to a protest at an unidentified location in this image issued by Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain also issued this picture of the protest at an unidentified location this morning
Police officers stand in a line next to the protesters this morning at an unidentified location
Zoe Cohen, 51, a self-employed mother from Warrington, Cheshire, added: ‘It’s now proven beyond all doubt, humans have broken the climate with the emissions from fossil fuels.
‘The world my generation, and my parents’ generation was born into has gone, and it’s never coming back. The world’s politicians need to be honest and accept this.
‘They need to wake up and do what’s necessary to stop the kids being on an escalator to climate hell. We need real action from our government to reduce emissions in this Parliament – 2050 is far too late.’
An Insulate Britain spokesman said: ‘We are demanding the Government and Boris Johnson create hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower our emissions, and save lives.’
The organisation added that its actions would continue ‘until the government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate Britain’s 29million leaky homes’.
It claimed that its demands for the Prime Minister were delivered to Downing Street by hand on August 21, but so far no-one from the Government has responded.
Relating to the protest at junction six, a Surrey Police spokesman tweeted today: ‘We’re currently overseeing a protest at junction six M25 reported just before 8am.
‘Number of protesters from Insulate Britain are at the location, slip road closed and diversion being set up. No arrests made at this stage. Please avoid the area.’
The latest wave of XR protests in London which began last month saw 480 people arrested and 81 activists removed after gluing themselves to structures.
