Insulate Britain activists return to the streets of London

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Angry motorists hauled Insulate Britain eco zealots off the road today as one irate passer-by suggested they had stopping him from taking his father to hospital for cancer treatment, saying: ‘If anyone gets cancer, please let it be your family – let you know what it feels like.’

The protesters restarted their road blockades at three locations in London – targeting areas around Southwark Bridge, Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street station.

Activists from the Extinction Rebellion offshoot leant on car bonnets and stood in roads with banners around the capital from about 8am, causing misery for rush hour motorists and families on half-term holidays. One even glued his face to the road in an attempt to block traffic.

A total of 53 protesters were arrested by City of London and Metropolitan Police officers having blocked Upper Thames Street on the north side of Southwark Bridge, Bishopsgate in the Liverpool Street area and Limehouse Causeway at the A1206 junction in Canary Wharf.

On Bishopsgate, one irate passer-by shouted at them: ‘If anyone gets cancer, please let it be people you know, please let it be people you know. So you know what it’s like to have your loved ones who can’t get treatment.

‘You can sit here, I hope you know what it’s like. My father needs treatment and you sit here doing this. Scum. I hope if anyone gets cancer, I hope it’s your parents… are they alive, are your parents alive?’

One protester replied, saying her mother had died from cancer. But the man added: ‘Do you know what it’s like, someone trying to get treatment for cancer and you’re standing like this? People are trying to get to hospital, of all places. If anyone gets cancer, please let it be your family – let you know what it feels like. All of you.’

Traffic on Bishopsgate was brought to a halt as protesters blocked the road at the junction of Camomile Street. At least seven buses were held up as the activists sat in the road at the traffic lights, and four police vehicles were on the scene. 

One activist seemed to have been taken ill and was lying on the floor as a police officer spoke with him.

Members of the public heckled protesters blocking the road. One man, who shouted as he walked by, said: ‘We all have jobs to go to.’ 

Another walked up to the protesters, looked down and said: ‘What are you doing in the middle of the road. I can’t get to work?’ The protesters did not respond and instead looked down at the floor. 

Protesters also superglued themselves to the road. Police freed one of these demonstrators and took her away – but as she was released from the road, the woman screamed and said she was ‘in agony’.

Another member of the public approached three female protesters and said: ‘Why are you doing this? Get a job. I was trying to get to work and have had to walk just to get there. I pay my taxes!’ 

Today marked the 14th time that Insulate Britain had caused disruption on motorways or A roads in London over the past six weeks. The group had warned last Friday that they would restart their road blockades this week. 

The campaign continues despite injunctions leaving protesters facing court summons and possible imprisonment or an unlimited fine. Last week papers were served against nine of the demonstrators, and they could face up to two years in prison for contempt of court.

The organisation said it would ‘rise up against tyranny’ in response to the Government’s Net Zero reports released last week which it said ‘completely fail to meet the challenges we now face’. 

Insulate Britain, which wants all UK homes insulated by 2030 to cut carbon emissions, had previously said on October 14 that it was pausing its protests – which have caused major disruption for motorists – until this morning.

Leaflets handed out to members of the public by protesters apologised for the disruption. The flyers said Insulate Britain is asking the UK Government to invest in homes across the country to make them free of fossil fuels.

The message read: ‘Dear driver, we are peaceful and non-violent. We are sorry to delay your journey. For your safety please stay in your vehicle and do not drive on the hard shoulder, this is for emergency vehicles. The police are on their way. They will arrest us and you will be able to continue your journey.’

It comes just six days before the climate conference COP26 in Glasgow starts on Sunday, which campaigners see as a last chance to nail down carbon-cutting promises that can keep global warming within manageable limits. 

The protests also came on the day London’s pollution charge zone for older vehicles was significantly expanded, affecting tens of thousands of motorists. Drivers of vehicles which do not comply with minimum emissions standards are being charged £12.50 to drive in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), which became 18 times larger. 

Protester Tony Hill, 71, who said he had travelled from near Kendal in Cumbria to join in today, said: ‘I’m here today out of anger, fear and determination. 

‘The anger that my Government is failing the people of our country. The governments of the world are failing everyone. Everyone says we’re at the 11th hour but we’re at midnight. Nothing substantial is being done by our Government and governments across the world. 

‘We’re saying insulate as many buildings as we can. It’s a no brainer. It’s something we can all do, it’s a solution. 

‘We’ve got the money; all we need is the will power from our Government to do it. It will save money, create jobs, save lives and save the planet. Why aren’t they doing it?’

Mr Hill, who was at the corner of Bishopsgate and Camomile Street in London, said: ‘Not everyone can do what we’re doing but I’m doing it on behalf of my family and others. I’m a former police officer and a former soldier and parish councillor. For me and everyone today to do something like we are is difficult. 

‘We don’t want to be sat on the streets of London but we are compelled to do what we’re doing because it’s something substantial. 

‘We’re angry but we’re determined. What we want now is thousands to stand up and be counted and join us and have the courage and confidence to do it and we can change not just our own country, but the world.’

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ’53 people were arrested, those arrests were for obstructing the highway. A number of activists had glued themselves to the road, or each other, in order to frustrate our response. We worked as quickly as possible to safely make arrests and clear any disruption.’

Earlier, the force had said: ‘A total of 52 people have been arrested following a number of protests across London and the City of London this morning.

‘We responded alongside City of London Police to events on Bishopsgate, Upper Thames Street, Limehouse and on Southwark Bridge. Those arrested are en route to custody.’

During the protests, a City of London Police spokesman had said: ‘Bishopsgate is currently closed at the junction with Wormwood Street due to protest activity. Police are at the scene but please avoid the area if possible as this is causing disruption to traffic.

‘Police are also at Southwark Bridge at the junction with Upper Thames Street, which is also closed in both directions, due to protest activity. Please avoid the area if possible.’

Hundreds of arrests have been made during Insulate Britain demonstrations so far, with protesters blockading motorway junctions and roundabouts since September 13 by running onto the road as the lights go red.

They have focused their protests on rush hours to cause maximum impact, with motorists taking it upon themselves to remove them when police are slow to arrive. 

Liam Norton from Insulate Britain said today: ‘We know that the public is frustrated and annoyed at the disruption we have caused. They should know that one way or another this country will have to stop emitting carbon. 

‘We can do that now in an orderly, planned way, insulating homes and preventing thousands of deaths from fuel poverty or we can wait until millions have lost their homes and are fighting for water or starving to death.

‘This treasonous government has betrayed the public. It is actively following a path that will lead to the death of millions – that’s genocide. 

‘If you know this and are not joining non-violent civil resistance then you are complicit. We can’t be bystanders. Short term disruption or genocide – that’s your choice.’

Tracey Mallaghan from Insulate Britain said: ‘I am gutted that we’ve had to return to the roads and irritate people. I am irritated too. I am a single mum and I don’t have time to read climate science and parliamentary reports, but I’ve read the Chatham House report and it’s terrifying. 

‘Everyone should read it and ask why their government isn’t taking the action necessary to defend our country from the climate crisis.

‘I understand, more than most, that money is tight and many people are struggling and stressed beyond belief. It’s hard to see the bigger picture when you are anxious about putting food on the table but stop and think for a moment. 

‘The people on the road are not your enemy, they are not the ones that have betrayed you and f***ed over this country. They are acting out of love to protect your children and people everywhere from misery, starvation and death.’ 

An Insulate Britain spokesman said last Friday: ‘Insulate Britain has considered the British Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Net Zero Strategy and the Cost of Net Zero report.

‘We concluded that, while these would have been a good first step 30 years ago, they completely fail to meet the challenges we now face.

‘What we need in this ‘period of consequence’ is a wartime style national effort, a united front of shared sacrifice, not a plan to cross your fingers and hope for the best.

‘Therefore Insulate Britain will continue our campaign of nonviolent civil resistance.’

Insulate Britain claimed that the Government’s ‘plan to decarbonise our homes fails on almost every measure’.

It said the £450million allocated to grants for heat pumps will help only 30,000 households a year, which is a ‘drop in the ocean’ compared with the 900,000 a year required by the Climate Change Committee by 2028. 

A spokesman concluded: ‘Our ancestors fought a civil war to remove such tyranny from these islands and sacrificed their lives to win the rights and freedoms we now enjoy as citizens.

‘Today it is our turn, our responsibility, to rise up against tyranny. We owe that to our ancestors, to our fellow citizens and to those that come after us in the great chain of life.’

On Tuesday last week, an injunction aimed at stopping Insulate Britain protesters blocking roads in London was extended by a High Court judge.

London’s transport network was granted the order earlier this month, aimed at preventing the actvists obstructing cars on some of the capital’s busiest roads.

Members of the protest group have already been hit with three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London.

During last week’s hearing, Insulate Britain members were given the chance to address the court.

Despite their campaign being on a temporary pause, they have repeatedly shown their contempt for the injunctions by disobeying them and burning papers copies.

Breaching a court order can result in a committal for contempt of court, which, if proved, may be punished with up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The judge, Mr Justice Lavender, said last week that the injunction was extended either until a trial is held in the case or a further court order or April 8 next year.

Dr Diana Warner, from the group, said National Highways should reduce motorway speed limits to as low as 10mph when Insulate Britain protests on a carriageway.