Insulate Britain activist, 41, reveals he is ‘terrified’ of going to jail

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One of the nine Insulate Britain protesters appearing at the High Court today for breaking an injunction on their M25 demonstrations admitted he was ‘c***ping’ himself and felt like crying at the prospect of jail.

Oliver Roc, 41, is among the eco zealots from the Extinction Rebellion offshoot who have blocked roads on 19 days since September 13, causing misery for motorists stuck around London, Manchester, Birmingham and Dover.

At least 161 activists have been involved and there have been at least 860 arrests. Now, nine have been summoned for contempt of court and face up to two years in prison, unlimited fines and seizure of assets if found guilty.

The nine appearing in a committal hearing this morning along with Mr Roc were Ben Buse, 36; Ana Heyatawin, 58; Louis McKenchnie, 20; Roman Paluch, 28; Emma Smart, 44; Tim Speers, 36; James Thomas, 47; and Ben Taylor, 27.

And an emotional Mr Roc told LBC radio this morning: ‘I feel terrified – I’m c***ping myself this morning, and I feel like crying. I’ve got all these emotions coming out of me. It seems ridiculous that we’re in this situation.

‘What we’re asking the Government to do is just an extremely practical no-brainer thing that they should be doing, and they’re choosing instead to potentially lock us up, fine us, seize our assets.

‘I’m expecting that we might get sentenced maybe today, probably tomorrow. We’ve been told that quite probably we’ll get custodial sentences, so there’s a high likelihood that by this evening I’ll be in a prison cell somewhere.’ 

The nine had been due to hold a press conference in a Pret A Manger café across the road before the hearing, but Pret then told them they could not do so because the venue was not licensed to hold such kind of events.

A further 23 protesters have also defied one or more of several injunctions granted to Transport for London and National Highways over the past two months. 

And Insulate Britain expects these 23 people to be summoned in the coming days, which would bring the total to at least 32 people who are due to face contempt of court.

The High Court has so far issued five injunctions to prevent protesters from blocking roads. 

They include four injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London, and one to Transport for London (TfL). 

TfL was granted a civil banning order aimed at preventing protesters from obstructing traffic on some of the capital’s busiest roads.

At the High Court today, one of the Insulate Britain nine said she has been “traumatised” by the Government’s attitude to climate change.

Ms Heyatawin said she “does not accept the morality of the injunction” and said “it is meaningless in the context of climate collapse”. She added: “I know how to behave. I think I’m a good person. I felt compelled to stop the world and get off. We are hurtling towards ecocide, genocide and our own suicide.”

Lawyers representing National Highways said that nine supporters of the group admit the breaches – although two of them have asked the agency to withdraw one allegation relating to a ban on refusing to leave the road when asked by police or other officials.

Myriam Stacey QC said the injunction banning protest activity on the M25 motorway was granted by a High Court judge on September 21.

She said a National Highways official described their protests, which began on September 13 and have continued for around nine weeks so far, as ‘unprecedented and sustained’.

The nine are all facing a possible jail term for their part in a blockade of the M25 on October 8. Dr Buse is represented by lawyers while the others are representing themselves. 

Ms Stacey said the official described the protesters as ‘peaceful and compliant’, and said they are ‘loosely affiliated’ to Extinction Rebellion.

She also said they had stated they would continue with their protests and had the capacity to carry out protest activity every 48 hours.

Ms Stacey told the court the group emailed the agency on September 19 and stated activists would be on the M25 the following day.

They also said the protests would continue ‘unless the Government makes a meaningful statement that they will start the process of decarbonising homes in Britain’.

Ms Stacey said Insulate Britain began its protest on October 8 at junction 25 of the M25 at around 8.30am. She said protesters blocked two lanes and the last two were removed by police shortly before 10am after they had glued themselves to the floor.

She said a series of press releases were sent by Insulate Britain in the days after the injunction was made.

She said: ‘On the 27th of September, a press release was sent out that made reference to the injunction and said those involved may be found in contempt of court and could be sent to prison, be fined or have their assets seized.

‘On the 30th September, a press release was sent saying they had returned to the M25 for the third day that week and it said, ‘We are raising the tempo this week. There has been no meaningful response from the Government to our demands’.’

She said a further release sent on October 13 said: ‘Approximately 40 people have blocked the M25 at junction 31, near to the Dartford Crossing, demanding the Prime Minister gets on with the job.’

In another released a day later on October 14, Ms Stacey QC said a spokesman said: ‘We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the disruption caused over the last five weeks. We wouldn’t undertake these acts in normal situations.’

She added this came after ‘an outcry from the public’.

Ms Stacey told the court that Insulate Britain operate under a policy that they let emergency vehicles pass protests sites.

She said: ‘If there is an emergency vehicle then they will move out of the way for it. That is their policy. But if there is a tailback that the emergency vehicle is stuck behind, that doesn’t help.’ 

The Government plans to introduce new measures to clamp down on protests.

These include allowing the police to stop and search people where there is a reasonable suspicion they are carrying items intended to cause disturbance by ‘locking-on’ using glue or other means.

The hearing, before Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Chamberlain, continues.

Ahead of the hearing, another of the nine protesters – Mr McKechnie – said yesterday: ‘If the government chooses to imprison us, so be it, this will show their cowardice.

‘They would rather lock up pensioners than insulate their homes. 

‘They would rather lock up teachers than create thousands of proper jobs. I face the prospect of being sentenced to prison on my 21st birthday.

‘This government would rather lock up young people than take steps to reduce emissions. 

‘They will lock us up and leave thousands to die of cold this winter, and millions to face climate chaos in the coming decades.’ 

The group has demanded that Boris Johnson fast-tracks plans to insulate Britain’s homes to cut carbon emissions. 

It wants this done by the end of the decade, with a ‘legally binding’ national plan published within four months. 

And Mr Thomas said: ‘I’m scared about potentially going to prison. But I’m more scared of this government’s complacency and lies about the climate. 

‘They are kicking the can down the road. We are running out of road.’

In a statement issued yesterday, the group condemned the ‘failure’ of the Cop26 climate conference and compared itself to the Suffragettes and Martin Luther King Jr.

A spokesman said: ‘As will become clear after the failure that was COP26, our government has no intention of taking the necessary action to protect its people. It has failed at its most basic of duties to protect the people. 

‘When governments endanger their citizens, the moral and just thing to do is to highlight this injustice by breaking the law, this is what the suffragettes and Martin Luther King did. This is what we are calling on everyone to do. 

‘Don’t be a bystander, come and join us and we will change the tide of history. What more meaningful thing can you do with your lives, at this time when everyone and everything you love is in mortal danger?’