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82-year-old from Bristol among protesters arrested in London blockade
An activist from Bristol was arrested in London on Wednesday in a protest timed to coincide with Liz Truss arriving to attend Prime Minister’s Questions.
Supporters of Insulate Britain joined Just Stop Oil demonstrators to walk into the road outside Parliament, sit down and glue themselves to the ground just after 11am.
Among them was 82-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, who was removed shortly after 2pm.
is needed now More than ever
The pensioner joined protesters who used superglue to stick their hands to the asphalt and halted traffic outside the Palace of Westminster for more than two hours.
The Anglican priest has been arrested nearly 20 times for her involvement in Insulate Britain.
Last autumn’s climate campaign, @InsulateLove, is back on the streets in Westminster as part of the @JustStop_Oil coalition pic.twitter.com/5JNAuZQdGu
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) October 12, 2022
It was the 12th day in a row that activists took to the streets in central London.
A spokesperson for Insulate Britain said: “Insulate Britain is part of the Just Stop Oil coalition. Insulation is vital in lowering the UK’s demand for energy and carbon emissions and for improving energy security by reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels.
“We urge citizens to take a stand by joining the Just Stop Oil coalition’s campaign of nonviolent civil resistance happening every day throughout October, meeting at 11am outside Downing Street.
The Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said officers contact Transport for London, local councils and the emergency services several times a day to check the level of disruption caused.
He added: “Over the last 11 days, all of those partners have been of a view that it doesn’t cause serious disruption. As soon as we have evidence of that serious disruption either being crossed as a line, or a good prospect of it being crossed, we’ll start being more assertive with our powers.”
Parfitt was arrested for the first time in 1984 while protesting against US missiles being held on UK soil.
All photos: Insulate Britain
Read next:
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- Extinction Rebellion protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
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