Whose side are they on? Moment police stop DRIVER trying clear M25 by dragging away eco-activist - as motorists are forced to wait FOUR hours for officers to arrest climate mob blocking five junctions
The failure of police to immediately arrest climate change protesters who blocked five junctions of the M25 for up to four hours sparked fury today as a video emerged of officers protecting the law-breaking activists while dragging away an irate and incredulous driver who decided to take the law into his own hands.
The unnamed motorist tried to pull activists off the sliproad, believed to be at junction three for Swanley, Kent, as another man repeatedly yells at a policeman: 'I just don't understand why you won't move them'.
The driver trying to break-up the protest and tear down banners was then dragged away by officers who then returned to guarding the members of Insulate Britain, a new offshoot of Extinction Rebellion.
There was also disruption and long queues at junction six for Godstone in Surrey, 14 for London Heathrow Airport, 20 for Kings Langley in Hertfordshire and 31 for Purfleet in Essex. There have been 92 arrests so far.
Obstruction of a British road 'without lawful authority or excuse' is an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, with a punishment of a fine and up to six months in prison. Yet at junction 14 of the M25, it took four hours to arrest the activists and reopen the road at one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the UK.
With police again accused of being too scared of tackling climate change activists, one critic tweeted the video from this morning with the message: 'Public servants stand by while the public do the job they are paid for. This bl**dy country at times is just beyond. They were happy to arrest people for going for a walk or stopping on a bench for a coffee'.
Another wrote: 'If the police won't enforce the law then that leaves no choice but to do it ourselves. These climate change imbeciles have no legal basis upon which to block the highway especially as such nonsense could potentially hold up emergency services and cost lives'.
Officers from Kent, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire and the Metropolitan Police dealt with the incidents that caused delays of up to three hours at rush hour. Many questioned why it took up until midday to break-up protests that began at 8am.
A former chief constable said the protest was 'extraordinarily dangerous', while motorists - some of whom were stuck in traffic for three hours with young children - said it was 'madness', with one urging police: 'Move them.'
Drivers tried to remove a group at Kings Langley as queues formed this morning. Hertfordshire Police then arrived but instead of arresting them immediately, around 50 officers guarded the group and set up a diversion.
As well as taking aim at the police, drivers caught up in the chaos said that any sympathy they had for eco protesters had now 'gone' after they targeted drivers trying to get to work rather than the Government who make policies on the environment. Despite the very public action this morning, a petition for the UK Government to 'Fund and require the insulation of all social housing by 2025' had reached just 1,300 signatures by 2.30pm.
Of the senior members of Insulation Britain, only unemployed Corbynista Steve Gower, 54, from Gloucester, has been involved in today's protests. He has been arrested, the organisation says. 
An irate driver who had enough of the queues on the M25 took the matter into his own hands and began moving protesters with links to XR and grabbing their banners
Police then tackled the driver as people took to social media to praise him and criticise the officers who dragged him away
It took seven officers from Kent Police to drag away this protester at Swanley this morning
Police officers stand in front of protesters as they failed to immediately arrest a group from 'Insulate Britain', an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion (XR), who blocked the A41 roundabout at Junction 20 of the M25
Insulate Britain protesters sit on the M25 today near junction 14 for London Heathrow Airport - this group, who could have been killed when they walked into the road, took four hours to arrest and removeA total of 92 people were arrested in connection with the incidents sparking chaos across five different police constabularies.
M25 protest leader is unemployed member of 'Team Corbyn' who was recently fined £267 for dropping cigarette while rushing to the Jobcentre
Steve Gower, 54, pictured in a 'Team Corbyn' T-shirt from Gloucester, is one of the ringleaders of today's protests
A ringleader of today's M25 protests is an unemployed Corbynite eco-warrior recently fined for tossing a cigarette outside his local Jobcentre because he was late for his appointment, MailOnline can reveal today.
Of the senior members of Insulation Britain, only Steve Gower, 54, from Gloucester, has been involved in today's protests. He has been arrested, the organisation says. They also say that 90 people took part in today's action and 78 of them were arrested.
Mr Gower, who is unemployed but describes himself as a volunteer advocate for the homeless in his home city, is also an active Unite union campaigner.
Last summer he was ordered to pay £267 by a magistrate after he dropped a cigarette in the street while visiting the Job Centre.
Mr Gower said that the fine spiralled because he couldn't afford the reduced fine of £75 and was told there was no opportunity to pay in instalments.
Magistrates fined him £100 and ordered him to pay costs of £135 and a surcharge of £42.
He had dropped in Southgate Street by an employee of Gloucester City Council but didn't do so and was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £100 on Monday September 9 2019.
In a statement read to the court Mr Gower said: 'On the way I rolled a cigarette and began smoking it, but when I realised the time I panicked about my appointment at the job centre and hastened my speed.
'About 20 yards from the entrance I was tapped on my shoulder and asked if I knew I dropped a cigarette.
'The official then started filling out paperwork and I asked 'Will this take long?'. I then told him he'd better follow me into the job centre so I wouldn't be sanctioned for being late. He interviewed me inside the job centre and gave me a copy of what he had written. I was so stressed at the time.'
Surrey Police detained 36 people across two demonstrations at Junction 6 near Godstone and Junction 14 by Heathrow Airport.
They remain in custody on suspicion of public nuisance and wilful obstruction offences after officers were called just before 8am.
A spokesman said: 'A total of 36 people have been arrested after we were called to protests at Junction 6 and Junction 14 of the M25 which were reported just before 8am today (September 13).
'The protesters were arrested on suspicion of public nuisance and wilful obstruction offences and are currently in custody.
'Protesters from Insulate Britain were at the two locations as part of a coordinated protest which has also affected other junctions of the motorway.
'Diversions were set up while officers dealt with the situation.
'Both Surrey junctions of the M25 are now fully reopened and we would like to thank motorists for their patience while we dealt with the situation.'
Officers from the Met Police arrested a further 14 people for highway obstruction after they also 'quickly responded' to people blocking the Poyle Interchange at junction 14 near Heathrow Airport just after 8am.
A spokesman said: 'The Met chaired a cross-force and stakeholder meeting with a number of agencies today to share information, and co-ordinate activity to ensure disruption was minimised.
'We are working with colleagues at Heathrow Airport to establish what, if any, impact the protest had on the airport.'
The co-ordinated demonstration on the roads network saw Hertfordshire Police arrest 18 people in connection with the protest at the Kings Langley interchange near junction 20 for Hemel Hempstead after demonstrators were removed for ignoring officers' requests to move.
Superintendent Adam Willmot, of Herts Police, said: 'We were called to reports of a protest at around 8am today (Monday 13 September) and quickly mobilised resources to the scene.
'The M25 was closed westbound at junction 20, resulting in congestion and delays on both the M25 and the A41.
'Protestors ignored police requests to move location, so we took robust action to enable roads to be reopened and to remove the protestors causing obstructions.
'Our officers dealt with the disruption as quickly as possible, reopening routes for local businesses and residents.
'The road closures were lifted by 10.20am.'
Essex Police confirmed 12 people were arrested on suspicion of highways obstruction after climate protests blocked the Purfleet Interchange at Junction 31 for Lakeside on the Essex side of the Dartford Crossing shortly before 8.15am.
Chief Inspector Paul Austin, of Essex Police, said: 'This incident caused significant disruption and our officers worked to resolve it as quickly and safely as possible.
'I want to thank the drivers affected for their patience and understanding.'
Kent Police also arrested 12 people in connection with a blockade at the Swanley Interchange after officers attempted to engage with the activists.
A spokesman said: 'Twelve people have been arrested after a roundabout which connects with the M25 at junction 3, near Swanley, was obstructed.
'The individuals were detained on suspicion of obstructing a highway after Kent Police was called to reports a group of people had gathered at the scene at 8.10am on Monday 13 September 2021.
'They remain in custody as enquiries continue. The road was clear by around 11.40am.'
Police stand next to the Insulate Britain protesters at junction 20 of the M25 at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire this morning rather than immediately arrest them
Traffic builds up on the M25 between junctions 11 and 12 after the protest group sat down on the motorway near Heathrow
Police officers remove a protester who stopped traffic at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent this morning
Travel chaos in Swanley, Kent, this morning after Insulate Britain stopped traffic at junction 3 of the M25Angry motorists tried to pull climate change protesters off the road today after they caused chaos across five different sections of the M25 by blocking junctions, lanes and slip roads during the morning rush hour.
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 AA slammed the co-ordinated action as 'incredibly dangerous' and 'causing more delays and more vehicle emissions', with tens of thousands of drivers affected as they tried to get to work on the motorway this morning.
Hertfordshire Police arrested 18 people at junction 20, which also caused delays on the A41, while Essex Police said 12 people were arrested at J31 on suspicion of highways obstruction. All five blockades had finished by noon.
AA president Edmund King told MailOnline: 'This action is not only incredibly dangerous in potentially putting lives at risk but it also backfires in environmental terms by causing more delays and more vehicle emissions.
'These are some of the busiest sections of the M25 where tens of thousands of drivers will have been affected and has a negative knock-on effect on economic activity.'
XR offshoot Insulate Britain wants zero home heating emissions
Historic England commissioner Ben Derbyshire is among the supporters of Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain is an independent campaign launched on August 20 by members of Extinction Rebellion, who want the Government to reduce home heating emissions to zero.
The organisation has claimed that its demands for the Prime Minister were delivered to Downing Street by hand on August 21, but so far no-one from the Government has responded.
Insulate Britain's listed mailing address is a Victorian semi-detached house in Streatham, South London, constructed in 1882 and now worth £1.5million.
The group has been holding campaign meetings since June 29, and held gatherings over the weekend in Taunton as well as Bath and Bristol.
A spokesman said: 'We are demanding the Government and Boris Johnson create hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower our emissions, and save lives.'
The group said that its actions would continue 'until the government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate Britain's 29million leaky homes'. It describes itself as 'a new group demanding that the Government gets on with the job of insulating Britain's homes'.
Among their supporters are Ben Derbyshire, who is the former president of the Royal Institute for British Architects and a commissioner for Historic England.
They have two main demands:
- That the UK government immediately promises to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025;
- 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.
Insulate Britain is an independent campaign launched on August 20 by members of XR, who want the Government to reduce home heating emissions to zero.
One protester from the organisation told LBC this morning: 'We are so, so sorry to disrupt people. We want to set the Government a really doable task.'
Christian Climate Action, which is a faith-based arm of XR, said that Christians including clergy were involved today, telling its Twitter followers: 'Prayers appreciated.'
But former chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said: 'It's worth reminding ourselves these people tried to stop a live motorway running, that is extraordinarily dangerous. It puts their lives at risk, it puts motorists' lives at risks and it puts police officers' lives at risk.'
One motorist, Sam, from Bromley, South East London, who did not wish to share his second name, said he has been stuck in the traffic on the M25 with his two young children for three hours due to the climate protest.
The 37-year-old had been on his way for a day out at a farm on a 'rare day' he has time for a day trip with his family. He added: 'I am seething at how irresponsible and selfish their demonstration is.
'It is ill-considered and poorly executed. I am all for change and reducing fuel poverty but there are more sensible ways to lobby and protest.'
Ask how his young children, aged two years and six months, are coping having been in a car for so long, he added: 'We are managing but the whole thing is completely unnecessary.'
Other motorists vented their fury on social media today, with Bill Templer tweeting Surrey Police to say: 'Move them! We are stuck on M25.'
Another, Linda Morgan, wrote on Twitter: 'Blocking the M25 on a Monday morning is madness. Majority of drivers aren't on there through choice.'
And a third, Kat, added: 'What about hospital workers getting to work? My husband goes via M25 - should he cancel his morning list?'
Supporters of the group include Ben Derbyshire, who is the former president of the Royal Institute for British Architects and a commissioner for Historic England.
He said today: 'Britain has the leakiest and poorest performing housing in Europe that contributes 20 per cent of our total climate emissions.
'Instead of fiddling while Rome burns with a series of ill-thought through programmes, reliant on private investment and debt, Government needs to invest in a major programme of deep renovation for energy efficiency with measures to support the supply chain, hitherto endlessly messed around with by half-hearted and inconsistent subsidies.
'The cost benefits for health and well-being, unemployment, homelessness and delivery of a levelling-up programme (otherwise dependent on long term and grandiose transport projects) will pay back the investment amply.'
But protester Eli Rose, of St Albans, said: "Insulating Britain will reduce heating bills for hard working families – particularly those low income families that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. It is a win-win-win. The Government know what needs to be done. They just need to get on and do it."
And Gwen Harrison, 43, from Hemel Hempstead, added: “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. So stop messing about, Boris, and get on with the job.'
Also among the protesters involved today was Liam Norton, 36, an electrician from London, who said: 'Since waking up to the crisis we are all in, due to the catastrophic breakdown in our climate, I have been shocked at the lack of significant action from our government. They need to face up to reality. It will destroy our economy and the fabric of our society. They are being incredibly reckless. 
Police arrest protestors at junction 3 of the M25 this morning which is at Swanley in Kent
Police and protestors at junction 3 of the M25 this morning after the activists stopped traffic at Swanley in Kent
Protesters are taken away by police after the Insulate Britain group caused chaos at the M25 in Swanley, Kent, today
Queues build up on the M25 this morning due to the Insulate Britain demonstrations
Police officers remove a protester who stopped traffic at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent this morning
A protester who stopped traffic at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent is put into a police van this morning
The protesters caused chaos by sitting on the road at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire today
Around 50 police officers then headed to the scene and stood in front of the protesters today
Officers took the protesters away and put them into police vans at Kings Langley this morning
Police turned up at the scene in Hertfordshire today after Insulate Britain caused chaos
Police arrest a man during the Insulate Britain campaign at junction 20 of the M25 today'They are betting the farm on technologies that don't exist. A stitch in time saves nine which means if we spend money now we'll stop a catastrophe later down the line. 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.
'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.'
Zoe Cohen, 51, a self-employed mother from Warrington, Cheshire, added: 'It's now proven beyond all doubt, humans have broken the climate with the emissions from fossil fuels.
'The world my generation, and my parents' generation was born into has gone, and it's never coming back. The world's politicians need to be honest and accept this.
'They need to wake up and do what's necessary to stop the kids being on an escalator to climate hell. We need real action from our government to reduce emissions in this Parliament - 2050 is far too late.'
A protester holds an Insulate Britain leaflet as she stops traffic at junction 3 of the M25 in Swanley, Kent, today
Police officers speak to a protester who stopped traffic at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent this morning
Protesters laugh as they sit on the road at junction 3 of the M25 in Swanley, Kent, this morning
Protesters sit down as they stop traffic at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent this morning
A police officer watches over protestors at junction 3 of the M25 this morning amid scenes of traffic chaos
Protesters from the group cause chaos this morning at junction three of the M25 at Swanley in Kent
Queues at junction 13 near London Heathrow Airport this morning due to the protestsAn Insulate Britain spokesman said: 'We are demanding the Government and Boris Johnson create hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower our emissions, and save lives.'
The organisation added that its actions would continue 'until the government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate Britain's 29million leaky homes'.
It claimed that its demands for the Prime Minister were delivered to Downing Street by hand on August 21, but so far no-one from the Government has responded.
Insulate Britain's listed mailing address is a Victorian semi-detached house in Streatham, South London, constructed in 1882 and now worth £1.5million.
Insulate Britain issued this photograph of the protest at an unidentified location this morning
Police stand next to a protest at an unidentified location in this image issued by Insulate Britain
Insulate Britain also issued this picture of the protest at an unidentified location this morning
Police officers stand in a line next to the protesters this morning at an unidentified location
The group has been holding campaign meetings since June 29, and held gatherings over the weekend in the Somerset town of Taunton as well as Bath and Bristol.
It describes itself as 'a new group demanding that the Government gets on with the job of insulating Britain's homes'.
The group has two main demands - one is that 'the UK government immediately promises to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025'.
And the other is: '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.'
An Essex Police spokesman said: '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. 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.'
Chief Inspector Paul Austin added: 'This incident caused significant disruption and our officers worked to resolve it as quickly and safely as possible. I want to thank the drivers affected for their patience and understanding.'
Relating to the protest at junction six, a Surrey Police spokesman tweeted today: 'We're currently overseeing a protest at junction six M25 reported just before 8am.
'Number of protesters from Insulate Britain are at the location, slip road closed and diversion being set up. No arrests made at this stage. Please avoid the area.'
Insulate Britain's listed mailing address is this £1.5million semi-detached house (centre) in Streatham, South London
And Kent Police said: 'Kent Police was called at 8.10am to a report a group of people were obstructing the road at a roundabout where the B1273, in Swanley, and junction 3 of the M25 meet.
'Officers are in attendance and are engaging with the individuals involved. A diversion, which will allow drivers to join the motorway at junction 4, is in place.
'Traffic is moving, but motorists are advised to expect delays and, if possible, use an alternative route.'
The latest wave of XR protests in London which began last month saw 480 people arrested and 81 activists removed after gluing themselves to structures.
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