POLICE FINALLY GET TOUGH ON ECO MOB
Priti orders crackdown as protesters block rush hour traffic on M25 for third time this week
POLICE cracked down on environmental activists yesterday in a belated attempt to get to grips with protests that have caused chaos on the country’s busiest motorway all week.
Officers arrested 69 in connection with blockades on the M25 and a number of other motorways from 8.30am yesterday across Hertfordshire, Kent, Essex and Surrey.
In marked contrast to demonstrations that crippled the M25 on Monday and Wednesday, four of yesterday’s protests were halted immediately while two others – including one on the M1 – were tackled within an hour.
Home Secretary Priti Patel later held an emergency meeting with police chiefs to demand that they deal decisively with the activists.
Scores of those involved in yesterday’s protests by the campaign group Insulate Britain had been arrested earlier in the week only to be released to strike again.
Essex Police became the first force to arrest activists before they set up a
‘These people are breaking the law’
blockade yesterday as they intercepted a mob at junction 28 of the M25 at Brentwood at 8.30am. The few who got past were dragged away minutes later and bundled into patrol cars, complaining to officers: ‘What you are doing is illegal’.
Some 15 were held for obstructing a highway and other road traffic offences.
The force then went to a blockade at junction 8 of the M11 near Stansted Airport at 8.45am and cleared it by 9.50am, but traffic was ‘never fully blocked’.
Miss Patel later summoned Met Commissioner Cressida Dick and her counterparts for the regional forces responsible for the M25 to a Zoom meeting hours after she had ordered police to take ‘decisive action’.
Officers had been ridiculed for their soft tactics at blockades earlier this week, with activists’ comfort appearing to take precedence over road users’ needs.
A source close to the Home Secretary said she reiterated her message that ‘these people are breaking the law and must be removed immediately’. They did not comment on details for ‘operational reasons’ but said: ‘The public does not expect the police to be standing by while protesters disrupt people’s daily lives.’
In other police action yesterday, the Kent force arrested ten protesters for obstructing junction 3 of the M25 near Swanley at 8.31am – 11 minutes after they were alerted. Despite the swift action, motorists were enraged, swearing and jostling with protesters as a white van driver was heard yelling: ‘Go to work you lazy b ****** s.’
One man was seen dragging a protester off the road as another yelled at police: ‘You should be doing that, not him.’ A contractor for a medical supplier said: ‘We’re fuming about this. The van stuck in traffic here is carrying ventilators, drips, everything.’
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police were called to reports of protesters lying in the road at junction 5 of the M1 at 10.36am and cleared them by 11.05am, with 11 detained.
Surrey Police arrested 14 for obstructing junction 9 of the M25 at Leatherhead 35 minutes after being alerted at 8.37am.
But after reopening the road they had to close it again as the activists had painted the letters ‘IB’ on the exit slipway. There were huge tailbacks as Highways England was called to clean up the paint.
The force also swooped after an
activist at junction 1 of the M3 at Sunbury alerted officers to their protest at 9.01am. The road was cleared and ten were arrested within 23 minutes.
A London activist who gave his name as Oliver, 41, was taking part in protests yesterday after telling police who arrested him on Wednesday he was ‘going to commit the crime again’. hertfordshire chiefs had said they need time to ‘gather evidence’.
Marc Jones, of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: ‘If you purposefully block major roads, rail, supply of food or utilities, you are committing a form of domestic terrorism and should be treated as such swiftly and robustly.’ Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called the protests ‘dangerous and counterproductive’.
Insulate Britain said its actions would continue until the Government makes a ‘commitment to insulate all of Britain’s 29million leaky homes by 2030’.