AP

Climate protesters block roads outside UK Parliament

Nov 3, 2021, 6:18 PM | Updated: Nov 4, 2021, 6:22 am

Demonstrators from Insulate Britain burn pages from court injunctions they have been individually s...

Demonstrators from Insulate Britain burn pages from court injunctions they have been individually served outside the High Court, central London, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Environmental protesters pressuring the British government to insulate all homes within a decade as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have halted their disruptive road-blocking campaign until Oct. 25. In an open letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a group known as Insulate Britain apologized Thursday, Oct. 14 for the disruption its demonstration caused over the last five weeks but said the urgency of climate change necessitated unconventional actions. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

(Yui Mok/PA via AP)


              Manifestantes de la campaña Insulate Britain bloquean una calle cerca de Canary Wharf, en el este de Londres, el 25 de octubre de 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
            
              Demonstrators from Insulate Britain burn pages from court injunctions they have been individually served outside the High Court, central London, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Environmental protesters pressuring the British government to insulate all homes within a decade as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have halted their disruptive road-blocking campaign until Oct. 25. In an open letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a group known as Insulate Britain apologized Thursday, Oct. 14 for the disruption its demonstration caused over the last five weeks but said the urgency of climate change necessitated unconventional actions. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
            
              Protesters from the Insulate Britain campaign block a road near Canary Wharf in east London, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. Environmental protesters pressuring the British government to insulate all homes within a decade have resumed a road-blocking campaign in London ahead of the United Nations’ annual climate conference. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
            
              Protesters from the Insulate Britain campaign block a road near Canary Wharf in east London, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. Environmental protesters pressuring the British government to insulate all homes within a decade have resumed a road-blocking campaign in London ahead of the United Nations’ annual climate conference. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
            
              Members of Insulate Britain attempt to hand in a letter for Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street, London, Thursday, Oct, 14, 2021. Environmental protesters pressuring the British government to insulate all homes within a decade as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have halted their disruptive road-blocking campaign until Oct. 25. In an open letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a group known as Insulate Britain apologized for the disruption its demonstration caused over the last five weeks but said the urgency of climate change necessitated unconventional actions. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — Dozens of climate change activists blocked roads outside the Parliament in London on Thursday, some gluing themselves to the ground as part of the group’s ongoing protests.

About 60 supporters of the group Insulate Britain sat on the ground holding banners, blocking two roads around Parliament. Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said it was “totally unacceptable” that the group was “interfering with democracy” after a lawmaker was delayed from entering Parliament to take part in a session on transport.

Insulate Britain has carried out protests blocking roads and highways in London and elsewhere in the U.K. in recent weeks, to demand the government improve the energy efficiency of heating in people’s homes by 2030. The group has also targeted London’s financial district. Dozens of protesters have been arrested.

Their protests have angered many motorists and officials have called their actions “unacceptable,” but the group has vowed to continue their “civil resistance.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Thursday that 475 injunctions have been served to the group’s protesters for contempt of court. The injunctions mean protesters can be fined and jailed for blocking roads.

“When it gets to the point that protesting against climate change prevents members from this House getting here to hold ministers to account and be heard it is clearly counter-productive,” he said.

Paul Sheeky, a protester from London, glued himself to the sidewalk during Thursday’s protests.

“The death and destruction that is on its way unless we tackle this issue is just beyond imagining,” he told reporters. “A slight discomfort now is a small price to pay for saving lives in the future.”

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