Insulate Britain protesters block roads around parliament

By Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - As many as 62 protesters from the Insulate Britain campaign group blocked three roads around the Parliament Square in Westminster, London on Thursday, demanding insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025.

Asking the government to take more concrete steps toward climate change, protesters glued themselves to the ground, blocking traffic.

Metropolitan Police said the protesters have the right to assemble and protest, but not to "cause serious disruption to London and prevent others from going about their business."

A statement on Twitter said units were immediately dispatched to the scene following the initial protest, and officers made 34 arrests.

"We have exposed the government's refusal to act on home insulation as cowardly and vindictive," the group said in a statement. "Their refusal to protect our country and our children from the climate crisis is genocidal and treasonous."

It called on the people to "come and join us and we will change the tide of history."

A protester said she joined the demonstration because millions of people "don't have the choice of whether they can eat or heat their homes. I'm here because hundreds and thousands are going to die this winter for being cold."

Insulate Britain is a new campaign group that is calling on the UK government to put in place policy and funding for a national home insulation program.

Over the past seven weeks, it has caused disruption on motorways and roads in London, Birmingham, and Manchester 18 times, and there have been over 800 arrests.

*Writing by Burak Bir, contributions by Waleed Tariq in Ankara