Insulate Britain protesters arrested after blocking Southwark Bridge

Environmental protesters have caused traffic disruption after gluing themselves to a bridge.

More than 60 members of Insulate Britain blocked three roads in London on Monday, October 25, including Southwark Bridge.

The activists blocked the road on to the bridge at around 8am and at 8:30 when police arrived they glued themselves to the road.

Police unstuck them using a solvent and made arrests.

Other locations of their protests included Bishopsgate and Limehouse Causeway.

The Met Police and the City of London Police arrested 53 members of the climate action group for obstructing the highway.

Insulate Britain is demanding that the government insulate all social housing across the country by 2025 and fully fund low-emissions retrofits on all other homes by 2030.

This is the 14th time they have taken action since the middle of September.

Liam Norton from Insulate Britain said: “We know that the public is frustrated and annoyed at the disruption we have caused. They should know that one way or another this country will have to stop emitting carbon.

“We can do that now in an orderly, planned way, insulating homes and preventing thousands of deaths from fuel poverty or we can wait until millions have lost their homes and are fighting for water or starving to death. 

“This treasonous government has betrayed the public. It is actively following a path that will lead to the death of millions – that’s genocide. 

“If you know this and are not joining nonviolent civil resistance then you are complicit. We can’t be bystanders. Short term disruption or genocide – that’s your choice.”

Police have begun arresting #insulatebritain members who are glued to the floor at the north end of Southwark Bridge pic.twitter.com/9hWl5fXff1

— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) October 25, 2021

The government has taken out injunctions banning people from protesting on critical areas, including the roads leading on to Tower Bridge and London Bridge.

Protesters can be punished for being in contempt of court for breaking these injunctions. Contempt of court has a maximum punishment of a two-year jail sentence.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted on Monday evening that he had told National Highways to apply for an injunction covering the entire strategic road network.

His tweet read: “Insulate Britain are back, risking lives & ruining journeys. 3 specific injunctions are already in place, but today I instructed @NationalHways to apply for an injunction covering the entire strategic road network – tonight this has been granted on a temp basis by the High Court.

“The long term solution lies in changes to the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill, giving additional powers against disruptive protests which target critical national infrastructure. This includes unlimited fines & prison sentences of up to 6 months for obstructing highways.”