Climate protestors brought parts of the M25 to a standstill during rush hour this week in a peaceful protest that saw Surrey Police make a wave of arrests.
The new group Insulate Britain is demanding that the Government 'gets on with the job of insulating Britain’s homes' and said today’s disruption was 'just the start'.
??#M25 disruption - 78 arrests and counting??
— Insulate Britain (@InsulateLove) September 13, 2021
Today 90 ordinary people blocked 6 junctions causing widespread disruption.
What?! @10DowningStreet GET ON WITH THE JOB and meet our demands, starting with insulating all social housing by 2025…
…then we will get out the road?? pic.twitter.com/dJ5aqNNshW
The protest started just before 8am at junctions 6 and 14 of the M25 on Monday (13 September). Diversions were quickly set up after Surrey Police were called to the incident and several hours later the protest was cleared.
Surrey Police tweeted: '36 people arrested following protests at J6 and J14 of the M25 reported 8am today. Protesters from Insulate Britain arrested on suspicion of public nuisance and wilful obstruction. Both Surrey junctions of the M25 now reopened, thanks to motorists for their patience.'
However the protestors later tweeted the total number of arrests was close to 80 by 4pm.
36 people arrested following protests at J6 and J14 of the M25 reported 8am today. Protesters from Insulate Britain arrested on suspicion of public nuisance and wilful obstruction. Both Surrey junctions of the M25 now reopened, thanks to motorists for their patience.
— Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) September 13, 2021
On Insulate Britain's website, the campaigners stated: 'Actions will continue until the government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate Britain’s 29 million leaky homes, some of the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe.'
It quotes Benjamin Derbyshire, a former president of the Royal Institute for British Architects and a commissioner for Historic England said, as stating: 'Britain has the leakiest and poorest performing housing in Europe that contributes 20% of our total climate emissions.
'We have no chance of achieving net zero carbon by 2025 unless we begin to treat housing as infrastructure and invest in it, so that like all other forms of infrastructure, it is accessible, well designed, safe to use and, most of all, environmentally sustainable.
'Instead of fiddling while Rome burns with a series of ill-thought-through programmes, reliant on private investment and debt, the government needs to invest in a major programme of deep renovation for energy efficiency with measures to support the supply chain.'
The group's website also criticised the Government's road building and HS2 plans.
