Furious motorists have dragged Insulate Britain activists from the middle of a road to let traffic through.
The campaigners staged another demonstration in London, with around 50 people blocking four sites around the capital on Monday morning.
It is the fourth week of their campaign to get the Government to insulate 29 million homes by 2030. The protests come despite a court order threatening participants with fines and jail time if they persist.
Motorists at Wandsworth Bridge in south-west London were filmed dragging protesters out of the road where they were said to be blocking an ambulance, in a video shared by TalkRadio.
One driver can be heard saying: “There’s an ambulance, you stupid p****, get out of the road”, as activists are picked off the ground and dragged away.
BREAKING: Furious motorists and a paramedic crew have pulled Insulate Britain activists out of the road at Wandsworth Bridge. More follows… pic.twitter.com/Ph6mxKiZTF
— talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) October 4, 2021
At Blackwall Tunnel in east London, LBC captured the moment a woman stuck in the traffic tearfully clashed with protesters as they blocked her journey to see her 81-year-old mother, who she said was in hospital.
Amid blaring horns from other angry motorists, she told them: “She’s in the ambulance, she’s going to the hospital in Canterbury, do you think I’m stupid? I need to go to the hospital, please let me pass. This isn’t OK… How can you be so selfish?”
Protesters wearing high-vis jackets appeared to be speaking quietly with the woman but showed no sign of letting her through.
The activists at Blackwall Tunnel had sat on the northbound A102 at rush hour. Hanger Lane in west London and Arnos Grove in the north of the capital were also targeted.
By late morning the Metropolitan Police said 38 people had been arrested for disruption of the highway and conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
An entry on the force’s MetPoliceEvents Twitter account said: “We consider protests of this nature unreasonable and are acting as quickly as possible to minimise disruption caused to members of the public using the roads.”
It is the latest in a string of demonstrations by the group, which has previously targeted the M25, M4 and Port of Dover.
Last week the Government took out a fresh injunction banning protesters from Insulate Britain from obstructing traffic and access to motorways and major A-roads in and around London.
Anyone who breaks the injunction faces imprisonment or an unlimited fine, and activists found in contempt of court may also be forced to repay the costs of their case.
Insulate Britain has pledged to continue its action until the Government makes “a meaningful statement indicating that they will insulate all of Britain’s 29 million leaky homes by 2030”.
https://inews.co.uk/news/insulate-britain-protest-wandsworth-bridge-blackwall-tunnel-activists-traffic-protesters-today-1230663
