Police officers arrived to remove a group Insulate Britain eco zealots, before they could even make it onto the M25 at the morning rush hour.
The activists had planned to blockade the motorway at junction 23, South Mimms, Hertfordshire. However, police stopped them from getting on the road and preventing any further damage.
Protesters were completing their 17th day in seven weeks of road demonstrations. A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said that police were called to investigate reports of protestors at junction 23 of the M25 at 7.45 am today. Officers are on the scene and trying to resolve the disturbance as quickly as possible. A number of people were arrested.
Insulate Britain has caused chaos to motorways across the capital from September 13th with 146 people taking part and 749 arrests thus far. But no one has been arrested.
The activists were effectively banned from all major roads in England on Monday last week after a major High Court ruling, and a hearing was told just three days of their protests had an ‘economic cost’ of almost £900,000.
But their protests have continued regardless – and over the weekend Greta Thunberg voiced support for their tactics, saying sometimes you have to ‘p*** people off’ to protect the environment.
Police stop Insulate Britain climate activists trying to block traffic at the M25 near Junction 23 for South Mimms today
Today, police officers detain a protester near the Insulate Britain roadblock at the junction of the M25/A1 today
This morning, police officers spoke to protestors at the Insulate Britain roadblock close to the South Mimms roundabout.
This morning, police officers detained a protester at the Insulate Britain roadblock near the South Mimms roundabout.
Today, police officers remove a protester from an Insulate Britain roadblock near the South Mimms service.
The Swedish activist spoke out as representatives of 200 nations gather in Glasgow to thrash out a deal to try to limit global warming to 1.5C at the landmark Cop26 climate change conference.
The 18-year old was asked by Andrew Marr, BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Sunday whether blocking roads was justified. He responded: “To clarify, as long that no one gets hurt… then sometimes you have to anger some people.
‘Like, for instance, the school strike movement would never have become so big if there wasn’t friction, if some people didn’t get p***** off.’
She stated that she has spoken to activists in China, where they don’t have the same rights. She added that it makes you feel so grateful that you are actually able protest. This just puts more responsibility on those who have the right to demonstrate, to use that right.
Last Friday, Insulate Britain caused yet more traffic chaos and diced with death by walking onto the M25 in morning rush hour. Later, they boasted of causing’major disruption at several locations’ along the motorway.
A group of 14 walked between lanes in live traffic up and down the painted white lines, causing tailbacks. Traffic grinded to a halt at one point when three people sat in the middle of a carriageway.
The group released a press release saying that activists were “walking on the motorway” and were “demanding that the Government continues with the job of insuring Britain’s homes”. Ten arrests were made in the aftermath of the stunt, which took place between junctions 28 & 29 near Brentwood, Essex.
The group admitted that it was aware of a High Court injunction intended to stop its disruptive activities. After a court decision, which approved an injunction against protests at 4,300 miles on motorways and A roads, also known under the Strategic Road Network, the activists were effectively banned off all major roads in England last Wednesday.
At a second hearing on Thursday, the injunction was extended to November 11. Breaking the injunction may result in unlimited fines or even jail sentence for contempt.
The High Court was told on Thursday how just three days of protests had cost taxpayers almost £900,000.
The group, a subset of Extinction Rebellion has demanded that Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, accelerate plans to insulate Britain’s homes in order to reduce carbon emissions.
It wants this done by end of decade, with a legally binding’ national plan published in four months. They claim it will prevent 8,500 deaths from fuel poverty and help struggling families to pay their energy bills.
George Eustice, cabinet minister, has condemned the actions by the eco mob as being ‘highly irresponsible’ and ‘a safety threat on our roads’. Priti Patel, Home Secretary, said that he was looking at strengthening the law to give the police more power to confront the protesters.
The Daily Mail revealed last week that eco-warriors are planning to exploit gaps in Scottish law in order to cause havoc at Cop26.
During a meeting promoted last week by Extinction Rebellion(XR), around 400 climate activists spotted potential loopholes.
Conspirators noted a recent High Court injunction banning road blockades does not apply in Scotland – and that officers will be ‘overwhelmed’ by the scale of the protests.
It was also hinted protesters with charges against their name in England may get a blank canvas across the border as forces ‘don’t always communicate to each other’.
It comes amid growing alarm among rank-and-file officers about the potential for chaos as police brace for the ‘most complex and complicated policing operation ever seen in Britain’.
The two-week summit will see hundreds of thousands of protesters from all over the world descend on it. XR’s Scottish spokesman Myke Hall has said ministers should be ‘very worried’ about their plans to disrupt the event.
Top brass in Scotland have warned that Cop26 could be a magnet for anarchists. They also believe some extremists could use children to shield themselves during violent standoffs. This tactic was used during the storming at the Capitol in the USA in January.
Two Insulate Britain protesters were trying to block a roadblock at South Mimms today by a police officer.
Today’s protestors were addressed by police officers at the Insulate UK roadblock near the South Mimms circleabout.
This morning, police officers spoke to protestors at the Insulate Britain roadblock close to the South Mimms roundabout.
Police arrest an Insulate Britain protester as they try to block traffic on M25 near junction 23 today
At the start of the two-hour protest meeting last Tuesday, attendees were asked ‘not to say anything specific about actions that you have been involved with, or are planning’, due to fears of infiltration within the group.
But during an extensive Q&A session, rebels probed potential weaknesses in the police and criminal justice system that hinted at plots to blockade roads and outwit officers.
The Scottish Community and Activist Legal Project provided Know Your Rights Training. They are providing legal support to XR during Cop26.
Representatives fielded a variety of questions, including whether an order against road blockades that were intended to curb Insulate Britain protests in England could be applied in Scotland, and if protest-related allegations in England would be brought forward to Police Scotland.
A spokesman said the injunction did not apply in Scotland, while it was also suggested police will only make arrests ‘if they need to’ for fear of being ‘overwhelmed’.
John Scott QC, an adviser to Police Scotland on Cop26, told the Mail ‘there is a very different tone and style’ to policing in Scotland, ‘with an emphasis on encouraging peaceful protest’.
There are concerns that protestors who break the law could be freed as a lack of cells could force police officers to give warnings to some.
On November 6, more than 150,000 protesters are expected to attend a demonstration. Smaller groups like Insulate Britain are expected take part in acts disorder, which could lead to a significant number arrests.