Eco-mob block M25 in Essex: Insulate Britain stage 16th protest

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Drivers were once again delayed by Insulate Britain today after 14 of the activists blocked the M25 by walking onto the motorway in rush hour – prompting ten arrests.

The eco zealots, who were carrying out their 16th day of road demonstrations in less than seven weeks, were on Britain’s busiest motorway between junctions 28 and 29 near Brentwood in Essex from 8am this morning.

The campaign group boasted that they caused ‘major disruption on the M25 in several locations, by walking on the motorway’ and were ‘demanding that the Government gets on with the job of insulating Britain’s homes’. 

Insulate Britain have brought chaos to motorways and A roads across the capital since mid-September with 146 people taking part in the campaign and 739 arrests made so far – but no one has yet been charged. 

The activists were effectively banned from all major roads in England on Monday after a major High Court ruling, and a hearing yesterday was told just three days of their protests had an ‘economic cost’ of almost £900,000.

Today, an Essex Police spokesman said: ‘We are on scene of disruption on the M25. 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. We’ll bring you more information when we have it.’

Insulate Britain spokesman 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.

‘It is clear that this government has no intention of getting on with the job that they were elected to do. No intention of protecting the country from climate collapse. Our children’s futures have been trashed. 

‘Our country sold out. We have been betrayed by the traitors now in power. We ask all decent ordinary people to join us, to rise up and take part in nonviolent civil resistance against tyranny.’

The group, which is an offshot of Extinction Rebellion, has demanded that Boris Johnson ‘gets on with the job of insulating Britain’s homes which is the best first step to cutting our carbon emissions’.

They claim this will avoid 8,500 deaths due to fuel poverty and help struggling families pay their energy bills this winter.

Another spokesman for the group, Tracey Malligan, said: ‘I wish I didn’t have to cause disruption, but nonviolent civil resistance is the only thing that will get the job done, it is the only thing that has a hope of working within the short time that we have. Within a few years, we will face rising levels of disruption, chaos and tragedy. 

‘Extreme weather, floods and crop failure are just the start. Do you have any idea what happens to society and law and order when the food runs out? It’s going to get ugly. Vulnerable elderly folk, families with kids and the disabled will be the first to die.

‘It’s time to stop passively expecting your government to take care of this. They do not have your best interests at heart. It’s time to get off the sidelines and join us. It’s black and white – we either resist this criminality or we are complicit in it.’

It comes after the High Court was told yesterday that three days of Insulate Britain protests had an ‘economic cost’ of almost £900,000. Activists from group have blocked major roads on 16 days since September 13.

Demonstrations which took place in different junctions on the M25 and A20 on September 13, 15 and 24, were ‘incredibly dangerous’ and ‘unpredictable’, according to National Highways.

The protests, one of which lasted for over seven hours, had an estimated cost of £883,962, court documents reveal.

It came as part of a written submission by the agency’s barrister, who was seeking continuation of an interim injunction at a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday.

The injunction bans the group from obstructing traffic and prevents access to 4,300 miles of motorways and major A-roads.

Saira Kabir Sheikh QC argued: ‘The estimated, lower bound, costs of these protests on drivers are substantial, with the lowest still causing £20,124 in loss and the most impactful, so far, costing an estimated £324,107.

‘This does not account for any costs associated with missed appointments, disruption to manufacturing or retail, missed transportation slots at airports or ports, or the direct cost to police or National Highways of managing the incidents.’

Ms Sheikh said Duncan Smith, the acting executive director of operations of National Highways, warned in a witness statement it is ‘only a matter of time’ before a ‘serious incident’ occurs as the result of the road blockades.

She went on to say ‘there is a real and imminent risk’ of larger scale and wider ranging protests from the group which will ’cause significantly more disruption’.

Ms Sheikh added: ‘Further, it is stated that the unpredictable nature of the location of the protests and lack of advance warning together with the increasing public safety risk is preventing NHL (National Highways) from carrying out its statutory duty as the highway authority for the SRN (strategic road network) – particularly in regard to the safety of the travelling public.’

At the end of yesterday’s hearing, Mr Justice Lavender adjourned the decision on whether to grant a continuation to the injunction, after Insulate Britain activists argued they were not given enough time to gain legal representation.

Dr Diana Warner, a member of the group, told the court: ‘We are talking about an existential emergency, not about people being late to their jobs or losing a bit of money, we need to change what we’re doing for everybody’s future.

‘This is an example of bullying, no other groups are being singled out for doing worse, it’s bullying and I hope this court doesn’t sanction it.’

Activist Mr Norton argued that more time should have been given to the group ahead of the hearing for activists to gain legal representation.

Another member of the group declared: ‘This is unfair, it is bullying and a questionable politicisation of the legal system.’

Mr Justice Lavender told the court: ‘What I’m minded to do is adjourn my consideration to a later date to give the defendants a bit more time to gain legal representation.’

It means the order remains in place until a hearing on November 11.

Members of Insulate Britain have also been made subject to three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London.

Meanwhile, an Insulate Britain crowdfunding page that received more than £60,000 of donations has been removed following accusations of it ‘funding criminal activity’.  

The fundraising page on Crowdfunder raised a total of £61,970 from 632 contributions in the 29 days since it was created.

The page claims the donations are to assist with ‘movement building, non-violent direct action training, back office costs and campaign materials and equipment’.

However, Crowdfunder has now prevented any further money from being donated to the campaign group.

In a tweet, Insulate Britain claimed the fundraiser was to end at 5pm yesterday ‘due to pressure from the media’.

However, the move follows concerns over the legality of the donations, which appear to be in direct rules for fundraising by funding criminal activity.

Tom Barr, a Surrey resident delayed by Insulate Britain and who raised concerns about Insulate Britain’s funding page to Crowdfunder, said it was ‘obviously the funding of crime’.

He added: ‘Crowdfunder and the Fundraising Regulator are to be commended for taking prompt action on preventing what was obviously the funding of crime.

‘But it should not be for ordinary people to make this happen; the taxpayer supports generous salaries for the senior figures in authority that should be acting imaginatively, proactively and robustly to protect the public.’

A spokesperson for the Fundraising Regulator said Crowdfunder had not referred the page, but the watchdog did confirm that it is ‘in discussion with the platform about the general legal questions that have been raised’.

A statement continued: ‘Insulate Britain is a campaigning group made up of likeminded individuals and not a registered charity within the legal scope of the Charity Commission, nor does it fall within the Fundraising Regulator’s regulatory remit, as it is not a charitable fundraising organisation.

‘We work with 20 online fundraising platforms registered with us to develop standards and guidance, reflected in the Code of Fundraising Practice.

‘The Code makes clear the responsibilities of online platforms to ensure that fundraising activity carried out using their sites is lawful, and where it is charitable, complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice.

‘Crowdfunder has not referred this matter to us as we do not regulate the activity of Insulate Britain and individuals raising money for personal projects, however, we are in discussion with the platform about the general legal questions that have been raised.’