Insulate Britain M25 Protesters Cleared by Judge Who Says Charges Would Not Be Proportionate

District judge says protesters had 'enormous sincerity'

Protesters from Insulate Britain block the M25 at junction 31, near to the Dartford Crossing in Thurrock, Essex, on Oct. 13, 2021. Insulate Britain/PA

A judge has cleared four climate change protesters who blocked access to Britain’s busiest motorway during a protest in 2021 after ruling that a conviction on a charge of wilful obstruction of the highway would not be “proportionate.”

Police arrested 38 activists from the campaign group Insulate Britain after junctions 9 and 10 of the M25 were obstructed for 13 minutes from 7.57 a.m. on Sept. 21, 2021.