Insulate Britain protesters set light to court injunction papers outside Royal Courts of Justice in London

Insulate Britain protesters have set light to court injunction papers outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

Some 18 activists wearing orange hi-vis vests burnt pages of injunctions that had been individually served on them, on the pavement outside the court building.

It comes as a High Court hearing takes place over three injunctions granted to National Highways in late September and October, covering the M25, Port of Dover and major A roads around London.

Demonstrator Nick Onley, 59, from London, said: “It’s a sign of our determination to carry on protesting, to carry on raising this issue until we see some action that we can believe in”.

Mr Onley, a food bank worker and community musician, added: “We’re just making it clear that we intend to continue our protest until we have some clear, meaningful statement that we can trust from the Government that they are actually intending to go ahead with insulating and decarbonising the country”.

Liam Norton from Insulate Britain, speaking outside the Royal Courts today said:

“The UK Government has a legal duty under the 2015 Paris Agreement to act on carbon emissions in order to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C. The Chatham House report has just explained that there is a 95% chance that we will go over 2°C.

“If the British legal system continues to criminalise ordinary citizens for demanding that future generations are not condemned to an unimaginably horrific existence, whilst at the same time refusing to put government ministers on trial for treason, then we are left with no alternative but to show contempt for this immoral travesty.

“All we want is for the government to start the process of reducing Britain’s carbon emissions in the most cost effective way possible - by insulating Britain’s homes.”