Skip advert
Advertisement

Insulate Britain campaigners sent to prison following motorway protests

Nine individuals imprisoned for between three and six months, as High Court clamps down on injunction breaches

Insulate Britain

The High Court has handed out prison sentences of up to six months for nine Insulate Britain protestors who ignored injunctions preventing them from blockading roads.

The nine who were sentenced faced immediate custodial sentences, in what has been seen as a strong message from the courts that similarly disruptive acts will not be tolerated.

The campaign group responded to the jail sentences by reading out a letter on the steps of the High Court accusing the government of cowardice for choosing to “lock up pensioners rather than insulating their homes”.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The group also called for more volunteers to join the movement, saying: “A few hundred people captured the country’s attention for months. Think what 1000 people can achieve? You have a choice. To act, to come and join us help change the tide of history, or to be a bystander and be complicit in enabling genocide.” 

The sentences come after the group continued its roadblock campaign despite fresh injunctions being taken out, with around 60 protestors disrupting traffic in London, Birmingham and Manchester on Tuesday 2 November.

The latest interim injunction banned “activities that obstruct traffic and prevent access to 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads” and outlawed “activities which cause damage to the road surface and infrastructure”. The latter includes examples such as protestors gluing themselves to roads.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Nevertheless, the latest round of protests all took place on this network, with the M25, M56 and A4400 affected. Previous Insulate Britain roadblocks have targeted the A40 in West London, a roundabout in Dartford, main roads in and out of the City of London, Dover docks and the Blackwall Tunnel, as well as the M1 and M4 motorways in and around London.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused the group of “risking lives” and “ruining journeys”. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, meanwhile, said housing insulation was an “important cause”, but that the methods Insulate Britain was using would only drive people away. He called on the group to stop its protests.

Do the police have powers to remove protesters?

At present, wilfully obstructing a public highway is an offence under the Highways Act 1980. Those found guilty can be given a maximum fine of £1,000. 

Kent Police told Auto Express that when dealing with a human roadblock, officers will speak to protestors and determine how long they aim to continue. If disruption is planned for a few minutes, the police may wait it out, but longer protests have to be dealt with more actively. 

The police have the power to remove protestors from the road and arrest them, but the challenge lies in ensuring no one is injured in the process. This is especially difficult when protestors physically attach themselves to surfaces or objects using glue, for example.

Home Secretary Priti Patel recently announced plans for a new “public nuisance” bill aimed at tackling protestors who target roads.

Do you agree with the protestors? Let us know in the comments below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Volkswagen ID.3 on the way with big improvements in range and quality
Volkswagen ID3 exclusive image - front

New Volkswagen ID.3 on the way with big improvements in range and quality

The Volkswagen ID.3 will get a completely new design language and our exclusive images preview how it could look
News
2 Jan 2025
Ford Sierra vs MG Montego retro test: they were acceptable in the 80s, but what about now?
Ford Sierra vs MG Montego - header

Ford Sierra vs MG Montego retro test: they were acceptable in the 80s, but what about now?

When Auto Express first hit newsagents’ shelves in 1988, these popular saloons were battling it out in company car parks. Some 36 years later, how wil…
Car group tests
29 Dec 2024
Car Deal of the Day: Top-selling Nissan Qashqai is a new year treat at £212 a month
Nissan Qashqai e-Power N-Design - front tracking

Car Deal of the Day: Top-selling Nissan Qashqai is a new year treat at £212 a month

The Nissan Qashqai is a very popular SUV – and it’s fantastic value for money as our Deal of the Day for 30 December goes to show
News
30 Dec 2024