I’ll block M-way again, vows protester
AN Insulate Britain activist threatened violence if protests were banned and vowed to block a motorway “at the earliest opportunity” if he avoids prison today.
Ben Taylor told the High Court if he is not jailed for breaching an injunction banning disruptive protests on roads, he will “go and block the motorway” as soon as possible.
However he added: “If you somehow manage to stop all non-violent protests, then things will only turn violent.”
He vowed to carry on disruption until the Government “makes a meaningful statement and acts on it”. Mr Taylor added: “If you send me away to prison, ten people will step forward in my place.”
Another campaigner Oliver Roc, 41, said: “We’ve been told that quite probably we’ll get custodial sentences, so there’s a high likelihood I’ll be in a prison cell somewhere.
“I feel terrified, I’m c ******* myself and I feel like crying. I’ve just got all these emotions coming out of me.” However, he added he did not have any regrets and maintained the Government needed to “get on with” insulating Britain’s homes.
He said: “It seems ridiculous that we’re in this situation when what we’re asking the Government to do is just extremely practical.”
The climate change activists from Insulate Britain were in court yesterday for breaching High Court injunctions to prevent disruptive protests. They caused chaos in the last two months, blocking the M25, roads around Parliament and in Birmingham, Manchester and Dover.
Lawyers representing National Highways told the court yesterday that the nine admit the breaches, although two have asked the agency to withdraw an allegation relating to a ban on refusing to leave the road when asked by police or officials.
Ana Heyatawin, 58, Ben Taylor, 27, Dr Benjamin Buse, 36, Emma Smart, 44, James Thomas, 47, Louis McKechnie, 20, Oliver Roc, 41, Roman Paluch-Machnik, 28, and Tim Speers, 36, are all expected to be sentenced this morning.
They could all be jailed for up to two years for contempt of court for breaching the High Court injunctions. They also face unlimited fines. The High Court has so far issued five injunctions to prevent protesters from blocking roads. Insulate Britain campaigner Emma Smart told the court she is there “to ensure future survival”.
The hearing, before Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Chamberlain, continues today.