What a pain! Eco-mobs return... with protester glueing his face to road
A CLIMATE change protester superglued his face to the road yesterday as the latest rushhour demonstrations caused ugly scenes.
Insulate Britain activists blocked traffic in central London and the Canary Wharf financial district, leading to chaos.
Irate drivers berated the demonstrators they dragged them from the tarmac.
And last night Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced a new injunction against the disrupters – which covers the “entire strategic road network”.
He tweeted: “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.”
He acted after yesterday’s stand-off in which one motorist told demonstrators they had stopped him taking his sick father for cancer treatment.
He yelled: “If anyone gets cancer, please let it be people you know. So you know what it’s like to have your loved ones who can’t get treatment.
“My father needs treatment and you sit here doing this.”
The confrontation took place in Bishopsgate, a major thoroughfare in the City of London.
Some 53 activists were arrested, including the man who glued his face to the road once he’d been checked for injuries. Many of those held have been detained several times during the recent Insulate Britain protests.
They included retired vicar Sue Parfitt, 79, from Bristol, believed to have been arrested five times, and one known as Emily, who claimed she had been held 14 times.
The disrupters face jail and fines for breaching injunctions aimed at stopping them interfering in ordinary people’s lives.
Yesterday, some activists tried to superglue their hands to the tarmac but were released by police. One woman claimed she was “in agony” when hers were lifted from the road.
Angry workers, forced to walk to the office when their buses were caught in the chaos, heckled the protesters as they passed. One shouted: “Why are you doing this? Get a job!”
Activists handed out leaflets apologising for the impact of the protests and giving the motorists advice on road safety.
The message read: “Dear driver, we are peaceful and non-violent. We are sorry to delay your journey. For your safety please stay in your vehicle and do not drive on the hard shoulder, this is for emergency vehicles.
“The police are on their way. They will arrest us and you will be able to continue your journey.” Insulate Britain launched its campaign of disruption on motorways and major roads six weeks ago.
It is demanding the Government insulate all homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions.