Insulate Britain activists walk into oncoming traffic on the M25

Elly Blake29 October 2021

Police have arrested 10 Insulate Britain activists after protestors walked towards oncoming traffic on the M25 on Friday morning.

The offshoot of Extinction Rebellion defied a nationwide injunction to cause “major disruption” on the motorway by walking onto the carriageway between lanes of oncoming traffic.

Demonstrators briefly entered the carriageway near Junction 28 and 29 of the motorway, intending to walk down the white lines marking traffic lanes.

Essex Police responded quickly to the incident and the activists were removed from the road.

Chief Inspector Lee Devall said: “Not only will incidents of this nature be frustrating for road users trying to reach their destination, walking into fast moving traffic is extremely dangerous.

“I’d like to thank road users today for their patience and understanding.

“You’ve helped us to clear the area quickly, to keep people safe, minimise disruption, and keep Essex moving.

“Our teams are experienced at dealing with incidents which cause significant disruption and are well prepared for them.”

“We will continue to deal with these incidents robustly.”

The new tactics have been deployed for the group’s 17th day of action, the last of which saw protesters have ink thrown in their faces by angry motorists.

A spokesperson for the group, Liam Norton, said: “In a couple of days COP26 will start in Glasgow and the eyes of the world will be on this country.

“Britain should be leading the world with radical plans to decarbonise our society. What we have instead is a budget that is yet another act of treason by this government upon its own people.

"It is a plan that facilitates mass murder. The citizens of this country should be in open revolt. We need change and we need it quickly."

The campaign group is calling to the Government to insulate Britain’s homes, starting with the houses of the poorest in the country.

Around 8.30am on Friday morning, Essex Police tweeted: “We received a call at 8am that a number of people were blocking the road between Junction 28 and 29.

“Officers are already on scene and the southbound track has been reopened.”

The group have staged protests and blocked major roads since September 13.

The group’s tactics have previously been described as “irresponsible, dangerous and completely counterproductive” by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

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