More than 100 climate change protesters have been told they are likely to face trial by the end of November.
124 protesters from Insulate Britain have been served with legal notices for allegedly breaking High Court injunctions, banning them from blocking the M25 and other key arterial routes around London.
Representatives from the group attending a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday, where they heard the injunction, brought by National Highways, had been extended until 8 April next year.
The court also heard that a trial date for hearing evidence around the alleged injunction breaches had been provisionally scheduled for the end of November, but that date could slip.
The climate change protesters have launched 13 separate direct action protests, blocking multiple junctions around the M25, and other motorways and road networks in the Capital.
The protests have tried the patience of numerous motorists caught up in the action.
In recent weeks, several iterate members of the public have been seen dragging Insulate Britain activists off the roadway.
He group has said repeatedly that is apologies for the disruption caused but would continue protests until the UK government made a “meaningful commitment” to ensuring a proper strategy was introduced to better insulate homes, beginning with the country’s social housing stock.
A retired GP, who spoke at today’s High Court hearing called on National Highways to work with protesters to ensure the public were not put at risk.
Dr Diana Warner said:
“If National Highways are committed to safety, they will slow the traffic to 20 mph, or 10 mph, when there are people on the motorway. I am asking that National Highways do this.”
Dr Warner warned that more direct action will follow once the self imposed amnesty during the Cop26 climate change conference ends.
“National Highways claim that they have called for this injunction for safety, as well as for economic reasons.
“We are in agreement about the need for safety on the motorway, even if we disagree about what constitutes public safety in wider terms or about what is necessary for the good of the economy.
“Therefore, I ask that National Highways work with Insulate Britain to ensure safety for everyone, given that I for one will continue this campaign of civil resistance until we get a meaningful statement from the government that we can trust.”
