16 September 2021
People from Insulate Britain involved in blocking the M25 on Wednesday and released from custody this morning told the police that they would repeat the protest as soon as possible. [1]
In the early hours of this morning, 89 people were released from several different custody centres across South East England, despite informing officers of their intent to continue taking action until the government gets on with the job of insulating the nation’s leaky homes.
The majority were released today without bail conditions. Some were released despite having broken bail conditions imposed on Monday which prohibited their return to the highway.
Before being released from custody today, the campaigners handed the police a clear personal statement of their intent to continue taking action until the government agrees to their demands. They were told by police that the statements would be held “on their files”.
The personal statements were made based on the following:
“Insulate Britain Statement of intent 15.09.2021
I have been arrested for obstructing the highway as part of the Insulate Britain campaign.
Insulate Britain sent a letter and a report to 10 Downing Street this August demanding that the Government make immediate steps to decarbonise Britain’s housing stock as part of the transition to a total zero carbon economy. They have failed to meet our demands, so we have begun our campaign of civil disobedience.
The UK Government has a legal duty under the Paris Agreement to keep warming below 2 Degrees Celsius. The science is clear, that on the current trajectory, the UK Government will fail its people and break this law. My sitting in the road is necessary to make sure that the UK government upholds its legal obligations that were created to stop the suffering and death of millions, if not billions of people around the world.
I must be clear that if I am released from this police station, I intend to return to sit on a highway at the earliest opportunity and will repeat this until our Government agrees to our demands.”
On Monday, 92 people were arrested at 5 locations across the M25 network, with just 5 people receiving bail conditions on release.
On Wednesday, 89 people were arrested, with just 12 receiving bail conditions on release.
The police forces involved in the arrests were: Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire and the Metropolitan Police.
ENDS
Press contact: 07737 457105
Email: insulatebritainpress@protonmail.com
High quality photos and video footage available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kucq-NfhnZLGJWwLx1HX03cWR7M9Y2-m
Website: https://www.insulatebritain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insulatebritain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insulatelove?lang=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8N5mAeeCLbD-AFUqtPaF0g
Notes to Editors
[1] About Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain is a new campaign group that is calling on the UK government to put in place policy and funding for a national home insulation programme starting with all social housing.
We demand the Prime Minister and the government to #getonwiththejob, face up to their responsibility and lead our country through the climate crisis.
We are ordinary British citizens with simple and achievable demands to #INSULATEBRITAIN
The UK government must immediately promise to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain
We demand a national home insulation strategy that gives British people the justice they deserve: a future for our loved ones, lower energy bills and safer living conditions
We are scared: our livelihoods are at risk and the futures of our children are uncertain
The Climate Crisis is a threat to all: we demand the government to act now
Our Demands
1. That the UK government immediately promises to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025;
2. That the UK government immediately promises to produce within four months a legally binding national plan to fully fund and take responsibility for the full low-energy and low-carbon whole-house retrofit , with no externalised costs, of all homes in Britain by 2030 as part of a just transition to full decarbonisation of all parts of society and the economy.
Further information about Insulate Britain and our demands here: https://www.insulatebritain.com/
Technical Report on home energy efficiency here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HtOQmArzkDxhIYJrv9lBcl9lOUwfKoe7/view