10 eco-warriors arrested for walking towards oncoming motorway traffic court told 3 days of activism cost UK 900k

Essex police have arrested 10 Insulate Britain activists after they started walking into oncoming traffic on London’s orbital motorway on Friday morning. Officers swiftly removed the protesters from both carriageways.

On Friday, around 8am (7am GMT) police received reports of that “a number of people” had been seen walking towards oncoming motorway traffic on the M25, an orbital motorway around the capital. 

“We have acted quickly to make arrests and minimise disruption on the M25 this morning,” a spokesman for Essex Police said. It is understood that 10 people were detained.

“Officers responded swiftly to remove people from the road and both carriageways were reopened within thirty minutes. We have made a total of ten arrests,” the spokesman added.

A spokesperson for Insulate Britain, going by the name of ‘Biff’, told the PA news agency that the safety of its members was “paramount,” and that if the cars hadn’t slowed down, the protest wouldn’t have gone ahead.  

Also on rt.com More French boats could be boarded in retaliation for Scottish scallop trawler’s detention, UK warns, as fishing spat escalates

“The intention is to enter the carriageway and walk towards the oncoming traffic along the white lines,” he stated, adding that they were aware that traffic jams had annoyed people. “This is like a rolling traffic queue,” he noted. 

For the past two months, eco-warriors from Insulate Britain and its spin-offs have staged protests on roads around the capital, causing sizeable tailbacks. Many have glued themselves to the tarmac, making it harder for law enforcement to remove them.

A High Court injunction prohibits Insulate Britain activists from obstructing traffic or preventing access to major A-roads and motorways across the country. The group has described the injunction as “bullying.” 

Insulate Britain demands that the British government do more to insulate homes across the UK, contending it is a vital means to reduce carbon emissions.  

According to British media, citing court documents, just three days of environmentalist activism had an estimated economic cost of £883,962.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!

Share this post