I would block ambulance with dying patient, says Extinction Rebellion founder after eco-warriors spark traffic chaos
THE founder of Extinction Rebellion has today insisted he too would block an ambulance after shocking footage emerged of a woman slamming eco-warriors as her mum was rushed to hospital.
Roger Hallam said he wouldn’t have moved for the distressed woman outside Blackwall Tunnel in order to get the group’s message across.
Speaking to The London Economic podcast, Unbreak the Planet with Mike Galsworthy, the eco-warrior said he would have “stayed there”.
And when asked whether he wouldn’t have moved if there was someone dying in the ambulance, he simply replied “yes.”
Do you know the woman involved? Have you been affected by today’s protests? Email britta.zeltmann@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368
He added: “What we’re talking about is the loss of people’s pensions in the next ten years, the loss of people’s incomes, the mass migration of hundreds of millions of people, the indescribable injustice to people of colour in the global south because of the collective selfishness of people in the north.
“We’re talking about the biggest crime in human history imposed by the rich against the global poor.
It comes as this morning a woman following her mum in an ambulance today begged “selfish” eco-warriors to let her pass as they held all four corners of London hostage in yet another string of protests.
The capital was plunged into lockdown this morning as Insulate Britain sealed off key routes at Blackwall Tunnel, Hanger Lane, Wandsworth Bridge and Arnos Grove.
Cars could be seen piled up as far as the eye could see on the A102 Blackwall Tunnel approach as fuming Londoners tried to enter the city.
Harrowing footage showed one woman desperately pleading with activists as they stopped her following her 81-year-old mum in an ambulance.
A gormless group of protesters could be seen standing by as the desperate daughter screamed: “She’s in the ambulance, she’s going to Canterbury – do you think I’m stupid? She’s in Canterbury!
“I need to go to the hospital, please move your cars. This isn’t okay!”
Despite her helpless cries, the protesters refused to budge.
And the woman could be heard begging: “How can you be so selfish? This is so selfish. Can you not just understand, my mum is 81 and she’s going to hospital.
“Unbelievable. On your conscience let it be.”
It came as chaotic scenes unfolded across the city with furious commuters desperately trying to get to work on time.
Tempers flared at Wandsworth Bridge as drivers dragged sitting protesters from the road in the hope of driving around them.
Hauling one activist by the scruff of his vest, one man raged: “I’ve got a f***ing job to do, get out the road.”
Other drivers joined in, pulling protesters to the side of the road so their cars could pass while demanding activists moved on.
One van nearly mowed a group down at Blackwall Tunnel, as he tried to drive around them, while others hooted their horns.
The Metropolitan Police said it has since arrested 38 people on suspicion of disrupting the highway and conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
The force said heavy disruption remains on the A2, the A3, the A12 and A40, although the roads remain open.
In a statement on Twitter, the Met said: “We consider protests of this nature unreasonable and are acting as quickly as possible to minimise disruption caused to members of the public using the roads.”
Insulate Britain, who want the government to commit to providing insulation for 29 million homes, said around 50 people were involved in today’s demonstration.
Responding to footage of people being pulled from the road, the group said: “We share the frustration of the people being delayed on the roads today.
“The Insulate Britain protests could end immediately, the government has a choice – make a meaningful statement that we can trust on insulating our homes, or make the decision to imprison those people who are more scared of the destruction of their country than they are of fines or a six month sentence.”
In recent weeks they have blocked slip roads, glued themselves to the road and poured paint onto the carriageway of the M25, which runs around London.
Speaking this morning on GB News, Craig Scudder said: “We’re carrying on. There’ll be disruption today and I apologise for that but we’re carrying on until the government issues a meaningful statement on how they’re going to address this issue.
“We’re creating jobs, we’re stopping people dying, we’re taking people out of fuel poverty – it really is just a win win win.”
It comes after the Government obtained a High Court injunction against the protests last week, meaning anyone blocking the M25 could be found to be in contempt of court, carrying a maximum penalty of two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
But the brazen eco warriors have not been deterred, continuing to block roads across the country.
Activists stormed the M4 on Friday and glued themselves to the M1 during rush hour before a frustrated driver ripped a sign from their hands and lobbed it into some bushes.
They targeted Junction 3 of the M4 near Heathrow Airport and the M1 at Junction 1 at Brent Cross, north London.
Around 30 hi-vis-wearing environmentalists joined the demonstration in their tenth protest in a matter of weeks.
Some chained themselves together as they brandished banners in the middle of the road, while others glued themselves to the surface and even each other.
Of the chaos, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The right to protest is a fundamental principle of our democracy but we will not tolerate guerrilla tactics that obstruct people going about their day-to-day business.
“That is why we will increase the maximum penalty for disrupting a motorway to an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison – or both.
“While the Labour Party stand on the side of these so-called ‘activists’, the Conservative Party will always back the law-abiding, hard-working majority in this country.”
