Insulate Britain insist ‘extreme’ but unpopular protests are needed

INSULATE Britain have asserted their road-blocking tactics are cutting through to the government and British public.

The climate protestors – an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion – have hit the headlines over the past fortnight after staging human roadblocks on some of the country’s biggest roads.

Their tactics, while unpopular in many circles, have launched them to the top of the news agenda, leading the group’s spokesperson to insist they are winning the battle.

They told Redaction Report: “Insulate Britain are aware the motorway road blocks that have taken place over the last two have opened a huge space to highlight the importance of taking urgent action to  insulate homes, to address the fuel poverty crisis in the UK as well as the climate crisis which is increasingly unfolding.”

The spokesperson added that last month, the group requested the government commit to fully fund the insulating of all homes in Britain.

When the response – or lack thereof – didn’t meet requirements, more “extreme” action was taken.

On Monday the group took action for the sixth time when they blocked the M25. 53 activists were arrested after the government took out a temporary injunction against the protestors last week.

“Many people involved in the Insulate Britain campaign have spent decades doing ‘traditional’ campaign on both social and climate issues with very little engagement or action by successive governments,” the spokesperson said.

“The action Insulate Britain is taking is extreme, to match the extremity of the crises we are now in.”

Questions have also been raised over the group’s appeal to the general public.

Protests have been accompanied by videos of frustrated commuters and parents doing the school run, while there have been some accounts of people unable to get to medical appointments.

The group have insisted that their actions are part of a long-term campaign – and that they don’t care about being “popular”.

“Insulate Britain is aiming to be an effective campaign using civil disobedience to put pressure on the government to end fuel poverty whilst taking the first ‘no-brainer’ step to reduce the carbon emission in the UK,” the spokesperson explained.

“We are not aiming to be popular, as history shows, many leaders, movements and people who have called for change have not been.

“Winston Churchill was only supported by six MPs when decided to take action to draw Britain in World War II, and this moment is remembered as a great show of leadership in Britain’s history.”

According to a poll for The Spectator magazine, just 27 per cent of Brits support Insulate Britain’s protests, compared to 49 percent against. A fifth remain undecided.

---

Featured Image: Insulate Britain

Subscribe to stay updated, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

You can also keep up with our video content on YouTube.

Redaction cannot survive without your help. Support us for as little as $1 a month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RedactionPolitics.