Climate protesters have once again caused chaos on the M25 – this time by running into the main carriageway and bringing traffic to a standstill.
Insulate Britain protesters have disrupted motorists multiple times over the last week by gluing themselves to slip roads and blocking access to the motorway.
But in a dramatically escalated protest, they ran onto the main carriageway near Junction 10 in Cobham, Surrey.
Protesters had gathered on the hard shoulder before running out in front of traffic.
Heart racing. Insulate Britain just rushed onto the main carriageway of the M25, blockading both sides near J10 Cobham. Police then launched into a sprint race to grab and drag them onto the hard shoulder. Road now reopened. Vid by @PaigeFCollier pic.twitter.com/rRa92kZtLn
— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) September 21, 2021
Surrey Police said a number of protesters from Insulate Britain had been on the carriageways in both the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
They have now managed to clear the protesters and both carriageways are now open.
The force made 23 arrests following the protest.
UPDATE: Two lanes on both clockwise and anticlockwise carriageways of the M25 between junctions 9 and 10 are now fully re-opened after officers cleared all of the Insulate Britain protesters off of the road. 23 arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/1kYT8P8bAB
— Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) September 21, 2021
It is now the fifth time that Insulate Britain has brought chaos to the motorway and have caused disuruption near Watford three times.
The Prime Minister said activists from the Insulate Britain group do not do “any favours to their cause”.
Read more - Police have 'robust plans' to deal with Insulate Briatin protesters
Boris Johnson issued the criticism of the protesters while flying to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
“We are taking powers to be able to remove protesters when they are threatening critical national infrastructure, when they are threatening to cause serious economic damage and I think that is entirely right,” he told reporters on board the RAF Voyager.
“And no, I don’t think these people do any favours to their cause. I think that what they do is detract from a very important moral mission that is widely shared now by the people of this country.”
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