Climate protesters block A41 M25 roundabout with Police make arrests

The M25 clockwise and anticlockwise exit slips at J20 (A41 Kings Langley)  CLOSED at 8am causing traffic mayhem for thousands of motorists.

Since this article, The climate campaign group Insulate Britain is staging its 10th day of protests in the past three weeks.

The organisation said about 30 activists have blocked roundabouts at junction 3 of the M4 near Heathrow airport, west London, and junction 1 of the M1 at Brent Cross, north London.

Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, brought major disruption near junction 20 at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire as a group sat by traffic lights.

The road closure has since been lifted at about 11am

Protesters were co-operative as they moved out of the way twice to allow an ambulances on blue lights to pass through and onto the A41 towards Watford.

Police have arrested at least 30 people after climate crisis protesters blocked off busy roads during the morning rush hour, causing huge delays.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary “We are currently dealing with an incident near junction 20 (Hemel Hempstead) of the M25 involving a small number of protesters. Officers are at the scene.

National Highways said there was also disruption at junctions three for Swanley in Kent, six for Godstone in Surrey, 14 for London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five and 31 for Purfleet in Essex near the Dartford Crossing.  

“The M25 is currently closed at junction 20 westbound, and as a result there is heavy traffic on the A41. 

Motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible and find alternate routes. 

National Highways said the exit slip road to Heathrow terminal four had been closed and Surrey Police said it was called just before 08:00 BST to a protest at junction six, where the slip road had been closed with a diversion set up.

In a statement on its website, Insulate Britain said that Monday’s disruption was “just the start”.

“Actions will continue until the government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate Britain’s 29 million leaky homes, some of the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe,” it said.

It added that its demands were delivered by hand to 10 Downing Street on 21 August, but so far no-one in government had responded.

Supporter Liam Norton, 36, from London, said he was “shocked at the lack of significant action” from the government.

“It’s a no-brainer. Insulating Britain will reduce emissions, provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and stop our elderly dying in cold homes each winter,” he said.

“So stop messing about, Boris, and get on with the job.

“As soon as a statement is made that we can trust and is meaningful, we will get off the roads.”

The co-founder of Extinction Rebellion told his supporters: ‘The whole world’s going to be looking at Johnson and saying “You’re Mr Green and you’ve got 200 people in prison because they want you to insulate some houses?” It’s not going to look good.’

Mastermind behind Insulate Britain’s M25 blockade vows to humiliate Boris Johnson at the Cop26 climate conference by getting hundreds of eco-activists behind bars as ‘the world watches’