Eco mob are now walking into ONCOMING traffic on M25: Insulate Britain activists wander along UK's busiest motorway in latest tactic to cause chaos
Drivers were once again delayed by Insulate Britain today after 14 activists blocked the M25 by walking towards on-coming traffic on the UK's busiest motorway at the height of rush hour - prompting ten arrests.
The eco zealots, who were carrying out their 16th day of road demonstrations in less than seven weeks, were between junctions 28 and 29 near Brentwood in Essex from 8am this morning.
It is the latest tactic from the woke warriors, who appear to have moved on from sitting down and gluing their faces to the roads,
The campaign group boasted that they caused 'major disruption on the M25 in several locations, by walking on the motorway' and were 'demanding that the Government gets on with the job of insulating Britain's homes'.
Essex Police condemned the 'extremely dangerous' action and said officers 'responded swiftly' to remove people from the road and both carriageways were reopened within 30 minutes, adding that ten activists were arrested. Insulate Britain said 14 protesters were involved in the action, so it is not clear what happened to the other four.
Among these being arrested this morning was retired Anglican vicar Reverend Sue Parfitt from Bristol, who was detained for the tenth time in less than seven weeks. It was her third arrest just this week, with the 79-year-old having also been detained near Dartford in Kent on Wednesday, and on Bishopsgate in London on Monday.
Insulate Britain have brought chaos to motorways and A roads across the capital since mid-September with 146 people taking part in the campaign and 749 arrests made so far - but no one has yet been charged.
The activists were effectively banned from all major roads in England on Monday after a major High Court ruling, and a hearing yesterday was told just three days of their protests had an 'economic cost' of almost £900,000.
Insulate Britain boasted of causing 'major disruption on the M25 in several locations' and are on the M25 in Essex today
Traffic builds up on the M25 in Essex this morning as activists from Insulate Britain are detained by police
Police vehicles arrive just as activists from Insulate Britain try to block the M25 between junctions 28 and 29 in Essex today
Essex Police released this muzzed photograph of a protester as they condemned the 'extremely dangerous' action
Insulate Britain protesters again block the M25 this morning by walking onto the motorway between junctions 28 and 29
Environmental activists from Insulate Britain are detained by police on the hard shoulder of the M25 in Essex this morning
Today, an Essex Police spokesman said: 'We have acted quickly to make arrests and minimise disruption on the M25 this morning, Friday 29 October. We were called around 8am this morning with reports that a number of people had been seen walking into the traffic to block both carriageways between junctions 28 and 29.'Officers responded swiftly to remove people from the road and both carriageways were reopened within 30 minutes. We have made a total of ten arrests.'
Essex Police Chief Inspector Lee Devall added: 'Not only will incidents of this nature be frustrating for road users trying to reach their destination, walking into fast moving traffic is extremely dangerous.
'I'd like to thank road users today for their patience and understanding. You've helped us to clear the area quickly, to keep people safe, minimise disruption, and keep Essex moving.
'Our teams are experienced at dealing with incidents which cause significant disruption and are well prepared for them. We will continue to deal with these incidents robustly.'
Insulate Britain spokesman Liam Norton said: 'In a couple of days Cop26 will start in Glasgow and the eyes of the world will be on this country. Britain should be leading the world with radical plans to decarbonise our society.
'What we have instead is a budget that is yet another act of treason by this government upon its own people. It is a plan that facilitates mass murder. The citizens of this country should be in open revolt. We need change and we need it quickly.
'It is clear that this government has no intention of getting on with the job that they were elected to do. No intention of protecting the country from climate collapse. Our children's futures have been trashed.
'Our country sold out. We have been betrayed by the traitors now in power. We ask all decent ordinary people to join us, to rise up and take part in nonviolent civil resistance against tyranny.'
The group, which is an offshot of Extinction Rebellion, has demanded that Boris Johnson 'gets on with the job of insulating Britain's homes which is the best first step to cutting our carbon emissions'.
They claim this will avoid 8,500 deaths due to fuel poverty and help struggling families pay their energy bills this winter.
Another spokesman for the group, Tracey Malligan, said: 'I wish I didn't have to cause disruption, but nonviolent civil resistance is the only thing that will get the job done, it is the only thing that has a hope of working within the short time that we have. Within a few years, we will face rising levels of disruption, chaos and tragedy.
'Extreme weather, floods and crop failure are just the start. Do you have any idea what happens to society and law and order when the food runs out? It's going to get ugly. Vulnerable elderly folk, families with kids and the disabled will be the first to die.
'It's time to stop passively expecting your government to take care of this. They do not have your best interests at heart. It's time to get off the sidelines and join us. It's black and white - we either resist this criminality or we are complicit in it.'
It comes after the High Court was told yesterday that three days of Insulate Britain protests had an 'economic cost' of almost £900,000. Activists from group have blocked major roads on 16 days since September 13.
Demonstrations which took place in different junctions on the M25 and A20 on September 13, 15 and 24, were 'incredibly dangerous' and 'unpredictable', according to National Highways.
The protests, one of which lasted for over seven hours, had an estimated cost of £883,962, court documents reveal.
It came as part of a written submission by the agency's barrister, who was seeking continuation of an interim injunction at a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday.
The injunction bans the group from obstructing traffic and prevents access to 4,300 miles of motorways and major A-roads.
Saira Kabir Sheikh QC argued: 'The estimated, lower bound, costs of these protests on drivers are substantial, with the lowest still causing £20,124 in loss and the most impactful, so far, costing an estimated £324,107. 
Insulate Britain are on Britain's busiest motorway between junctions 28 and 29 near Brentwood in Essex this morning
Police officers stand next to Insulate Britain campaigners who walked onto the M25 between junctions 28 and 29 today
'This does not account for any costs associated with missed appointments, disruption to manufacturing or retail, missed transportation slots at airports or ports, or the direct cost to police or National Highways of managing the incidents.'
Ms Sheikh said Duncan Smith, the acting executive director of operations of National Highways, warned in a witness statement it is 'only a matter of time' before a 'serious incident' occurs as the result of the road blockades.
Retired vicar, 79, is back again with Insulate Britain and arrested for a TENTH time in just six weeks
A retired Anglican vicar was once again back at the Insulate Britain protests today - marking the tenth time she has been arrested in less than seven weeks.
Reverend Sue Parfitt, 79, from Bristol, who is also involved with Extinction Rebellion, was taken away from between junctions 28 and 29 of the M25 in Essex today.
It was the third time she has been arrested this week - having also been detained near Dartford in Kent on Wednesday, and on Bishopsgate in London on Monday.
She has also already been arrested at other protests on the M25 on September 13, 21 and 29, and October 13.
Insulate Britain said on Wednesday that Parfitt had been arrested nine times while protesting with the group - making today the tenth time she has been detained.
Parfitt was fined more than £1,500 in July after she took part in two XR road blockades in Parliament Square and outside a Ministry of Defence site near Bristol.
Insulate Britain protester Reverend Sue Parfitt, 79, is arrested between junctions 28 and 29 of the M25 in Essex today
Sue Parfitt is arrested on Wednesday (left) and Monday (right)
Parfitt arrested on September 13 (left) and September 21 (right)
Parfitt arrested on September 29 (left) and October 13 (right)
She went on to say 'there is a real and imminent risk' of larger scale and wider ranging protests from the group which will 'cause significantly more disruption'.
Ms Sheikh added: 'Further, it is stated that the unpredictable nature of the location of the protests and lack of advance warning together with the increasing public safety risk is preventing NHL (National Highways) from carrying out its statutory duty as the highway authority for the SRN (strategic road network) - particularly in regard to the safety of the travelling public.'
At the end of yesterday's hearing, Mr Justice Lavender adjourned the decision on whether to grant a continuation to the injunction, after Insulate Britain activists argued they were not given enough time to gain legal representation.
Dr Diana Warner, a member of the group, told the court: 'We are talking about an existential emergency, not about people being late to their jobs or losing a bit of money, we need to change what we're doing for everybody's future.
'This is an example of bullying, no other groups are being singled out for doing worse, it's bullying and I hope this court doesn't sanction it.'
Activist Mr Norton argued that more time should have been given to the group ahead of the hearing for activists to gain legal representation.
Another member of the group declared: 'This is unfair, it is bullying and a questionable politicisation of the legal system.'
Mr Justice Lavender told the court: 'What I'm minded to do is adjourn my consideration to a later date to give the defendants a bit more time to gain legal representation.'
It means the order remains in place until a hearing on November 11.
Members of Insulate Britain have also been made subject to three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London.
Meanwhile, an Insulate Britain crowdfunding page that received more than £60,000 of donations has been removed following accusations of it 'funding criminal activity'.
The fundraising page on Crowdfunder raised a total of £61,970 from 632 contributions in the 29 days since it was created.
The page claims the donations are to assist with 'movement building, non-violent direct action training, back office costs and campaign materials and equipment'.
However, Crowdfunder has now prevented any further money from being donated to the campaign group.
In a tweet, Insulate Britain claimed the fundraiser was to end at 5pm yesterday 'due to pressure from the media'.
However, the move follows concerns over the legality of the donations, which appear to be in direct rules for fundraising by funding criminal activity.
Tom Barr, a Surrey resident delayed by Insulate Britain and who raised concerns about Insulate Britain's funding page to Crowdfunder, said it was 'obviously the funding of crime'.
He added: 'Crowdfunder and the Fundraising Regulator are to be commended for taking prompt action on preventing what was obviously the funding of crime.
'But it should not be for ordinary people to make this happen; the taxpayer supports generous salaries for the senior figures in authority that should be acting imaginatively, proactively and robustly to protect the public.'
A spokesperson for the Fundraising Regulator said Crowdfunder had not referred the page, but the watchdog did confirm that it is 'in discussion with the platform about the general legal questions that have been raised'.
A statement continued: 'Insulate Britain is a campaigning group made up of likeminded individuals and not a registered charity within the legal scope of the Charity Commission, nor does it fall within the Fundraising Regulator's regulatory remit, as it is not a charitable fundraising organisation.
'We work with 20 online fundraising platforms registered with us to develop standards and guidance, reflected in the Code of Fundraising Practice.
'The Code makes clear the responsibilities of online platforms to ensure that fundraising activity carried out using their sites is lawful, and where it is charitable, complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
'Crowdfunder has not referred this matter to us as we do not regulate the activity of Insulate Britain and individuals raising money for personal projects, however, we are in discussion with the platform about the general legal questions that have been raised.'co-mob walk along main carriageway of the M25 during rush hourLoaded: 0%
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