London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

‘Crossed the line’: Climate activists have gone too far by blocking key London roads, British policing minister says

‘Crossed the line’: Climate activists have gone too far by blocking key London roads, British policing minister says

Environmental protesters who caused serious disruptions to major routes into London have “crossed the line” of exercising their right to protest by wreaking havoc on the capital’s key roads, Britain’s policing minister has said.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Kit Malthouse condemned the actions of protesters from environmental group Insulate Britain, stating that there is a difference between “the right to protest and the right to cause damage.”

He went on, stating that the protesters have “crossed the line” regarding their responsibility towards the rest of the public.

"We believe that these protesters and some of the others that we’ve seen in the last couple of years have crossed the line between exercising their right but also their responsibility towards the rest of us, and something needs to be done."


To tackle the havoc, the minister revealed that “today we’re going to be announcing a raft of new measures... that we think will deal with this problem, specifically recognising the disruption of infrastructure and disruption of the strategic road network.”

Malthouse’s remarks emerge as around 50 eco-activists from Insulate Britain took their demonstrations to some of the capital’s key arteries on Monday, with protesters reported at locations such as the Blackwall Tunnel and Wandsworth Bridge.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has also spoken out against the actions of the organisation, vowing on Sunday that the government “will not tolerate guerrilla tactics that obstruct people going about their day-to-day business.”

On Saturday, National Highways was granted a new injunction against protesters by the court, meaning that activists could face imprisonment or an unlimited fine if they hold a demo on the 4,300 mile Strategic Road Network linked to the M25 in the South East.

Protests by the group, who are pushing for the UK government to insulate homes nationwide, deemed an integral part of reducing carbon emissions, have seen several days of disruption on the busy M25 London orbital.

Insulate Britain members have also taken their demo to the Port of Dover, one of the UK’s most important gateways to Europe, where they blocked the entrance to the harbour at the end of September.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×