UK government secures injunction against eco-warrior protestors who repeatedly blocked sections of M25

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Wednesday that National Highways has secured an injunction against protestors calling themselves ‘Insulate Britain’ who have repeatedly disrupted traffic by blocking the M25.

A judge granted the injunction last night, with it set to come into effect later today, in a bid to discourage further protestors from invading the motorway in a “reckless” manner that “puts lives at risk,” Shapps stated on Twitter.

The eco warrior protestors will “face contempt of court with possible imprisonment” if they continue to hold their demonstrations, which have seen ‘Insulate Britain’ activists halt traffic by sitting down in the middle of the busy M25 motorway.

The group have stated that they are trying to raise awareness of concerns about insulation in housing, urging the government to ensure it is put in all of “Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030 and all social housing by 2025.” 

“We are simply asking the government to get on the job. The people of Britain understand that climate change is a severe threat to everything they hold dear,” ‘Insulate Britain’ spokesperson Liam Norton stated. 

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel previously described the legal action as an “important injunction” that would ensure “people can get moving again,” warning the protestors that “we will not tolerate lives being put at risk.”

On Tuesday, a demonstration by the group at junctions 9 and 10 of the M25 resulted in 38 protestors being arrested by Surrey Police, after the activists had unveiled banners and poured paint on the road.

While the injunction covers the situation on the M25, Patel and Shapps highlighted in a newspaper column published on Wednesday that the government is working to ensure police have more “powers to better manage such guerrilla tactics in future.”

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