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Insulate Britain activists avoid contempt charges by blocking roads not named in injunction

Insulate Britain protesters block a road next to police officers in London on 25 October 2021. Some protesters glued their heads and hands to roads to lengthen the time it takes to remove them. - Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Insulate Britain protesters block a road next to police officers in London on 25 October 2021. Some protesters glued their heads and hands to roads to lengthen the time it takes to remove them. - Henry Nicholls/Reuters

Insulate Britain activists have avoided further contempt of court charges by blocking roads that aren’t covered by High Court injunctions.

The Daily Telegraph has learned that the group targeted roads in the City of London this morning which were not included in the order brought by TfL earlier this month.

This would mean the 61 protesters would avoid being in contempt of court, after nine fellow protesters were given a court date for breaking another injunction which could see them serve a prison sentence of up to two years.

Activists blocked roads in the City of London this morning including Upper Thames Street, Bishopsgate and Limehouse Causeway.

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This was the fourteenth outing of the group which has brought chaos to the UK’s road network over the past two months.

Ten days ago Insulate Britain said that they were giving the public “a break” over half term, but now have returned to the roads to continue blocking traffic.

Videos on social media over previous weeks have seen motorists and members of the public becoming increasingly frustrated with the group’s antics, with some taking matters into their own hands by dragging activists out of the road.

On Friday, nine protesters became the first protesters to face contempt of court proceedings, after an application was lodged with the High Court which accused them of breaking the injunction which was granted to National Highways.

Currently there are four injunctions covering the protesters, three granted to National Highways which cover the M25, feeder roads, and the Port of Dover, as well as one granted to TfL which covers specific busy roads in London.

Discussions of a nationwide injunction against Insulate Britain, which would bar them from blocking any road under threat of contempt of court, have stalled in recent weeks.

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.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "A total of 52 people have been arrested following a number of protests across London and the City of London this morning.

"We responded alongside City of London Police to events on Bishopsgate, Upper Thames Street, Limehouse and on Southwark Bridge.

"Those arrested are en route to custody."