The Times - UK (2022-04-13)

the times | Wednesday April 13 2022 2GM 15

News

Judge inspired by demonstrators

Insulate Britain

protesters were praised

by a judge for their

commitment to greener

living as ten were fined

over a demonstration

that disrupted the

journeys of an

estimated 18,

drivers on the M25.

Activists blocked

traffic, including an

ambulance carrying a

patient, by sitting across

Junction 3 in Kent on

September 29. Some

glued themselves to the

tarmac and one stuck

himself to a police car.

After the activists

admitted charges in

relation to the protest,

District Judge Stephen

Leake, at Crawley

magistrates’ court, said

that they had inspired

him after making

impassioned speeches

while representing

themselves in court.

However, the judge

added that his role was

to “apply the law”. He

said: “I have heard your

voices. They have

inspired me and

personally I intend to do

what I can to reduce my

own impact on the

planet, so to that extent

your voices are

certainly heard.”

right now because climate change is

going to cost lives.”

Todd Smith, 33, a former commercial

pilot who quit over the industry’s envi-

ronmental impact, was also at the pro-

test. He said: “It was my dream to fly

planes but after I began work I did not

feel comfortable about what planes

were doing to the environment.”

On Monday a 40-hour protest at an

oil depot in Essex ended. Ten other fuel

depots have been targeted, leading to

criticism from Downing Street of the

“guerrilla tactics”. On Friday protesters

occupied Tower Bridge, causing it to be

closed for several hours. Lloyd’s said it

“supports safe and constructive engage-

ment on climate change”.

Fuel protesters forced Lloyd’s of
London to shut its headquarters yester-
day after blocking the entrances and
scaling the outside of the building to
unfurl banners
More than 60 members of Extinction
Rebellion arrived at the insurance
marketplace in the City and used glue,
chains and bike locks to obstruct all 25
entrances to the grade I listed building.
Staff were asked to work at home for
the day after activists, some dressed as
rats wearing suits and others as clean-
ers, arrived at the office at 7am.
The group demanded that Lloyd’s
stop insuring coal, oil and gas projects
and unfurled banners reading “End
Fossil Fuels Now” and “Insure Climate
Justice”.
It followed days of demonstrations
from Just Stop Oil, an group affiliated to
Extinction Rebellion, which targeted
oil terminals and disrupted fuel sup-
plies.
Ministers were preparing to serve
injunctions on the ringleaders after
Priti Patel, the home secretary, came
under pressure to take action and offi-
cials were accused of being too slow to
punish the activists.
Conservative MPs called for
Ben Goldsmith, the finan-
cier and green campaigner
who is a non-executive
director of the Depart-
ment for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs,
to be sacked after he
said the fuel protests
were justified as a way
to “wake people up” to
the climate emergency.
Fay Jones, a Tory MP,
called the comments “un-
believable”. Damian Green,
the former cabinet minister, said:
“Surely he can’t stay on after that.”
Three hours later Goldsmith apolo-
gised for the “clumsy tweets”.
Extinction Rebellion has pledged a
week of protests and said there would
be “significant disruption again” today.
Clare Walmsley, its spokeswoman,
added: “By underwriting the world’s
most deadly fossil fuel projects, they are
creating climate chaos — floods, fam-
ine, wildfires and death.
“Insuring new oil and gas projects in
the North Sea will do nothing to solve
the cost-of-living crisis either. Instead it

locks us into a

system that’s

already pushing mil-

lions into poverty.”

Extinction Rebellion and

Just Stop Oil have said they will con-

tinue to protest until the government

stops all new fossil fuel investments.

City of London police said no arrests

were made at the Lloyd’s Building,

designed by Richard Rogers and

opened by the Queen in 1986. Com-

mander Umer Khan said the force had

facilitated “peaceful protest”.

Protesters included a retired detect-

ive sergeant, Paul Stephens, who said:

“It was my job for many years to help

protect lives. I believe I’m doing that

Climate activists seal off Lloyd’s

Ben Ellery

Some protesters on the Lloyd’s building dressed as rats in suits; others as cleaners. Extinction Rebellion warned of more disruption today

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