Make Insulate Britain motorway protesters pay £4.3m policing bill instead of taxpayers – The Yorkshire Post says

THE RIGHT to peaceful protest remains sacrosanct in open democracies like Britain.
By YP Comment
Published 29th Dec 2021, 05:59 BST
File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.
File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.

It does not extend, however, to the disruption caused by Insulate Britain when its eco-activists started blockading motorways and disrupting the lives of all road users.

Just like previous stunts by Extinction Rebellion, any attempt to widen the public debate on climate policy is nullified by the resulting inconvenience, displeasure and policing costs which, in the case of Insulate Britain’s antics, now stand at £4.3m.

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This also involved the Metroplitian Police alone having to involve 6,651 officers and staff in total in its response – individuals who would otherwise have been involved in the fight against serious crime.

File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.
File photo dated 4/11/2021 of protesters from Insulate Britain block Great George Street in Parliament Square, central London. Policing Insulate Britain's road-blocking protests cost taxpayers at least £4.3 million, an investigation has found. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "appalled" by the bill, which was disclosed by police forces in response to Freedom of Information requests by the PA news agency.

As such, the onus is now on the courts to recoup some of these policing costs from Insulated Britain protesters convicted of breaking the law with such abandon – and often on multiple occasions. Why should taxpayers foot the bill for their cavalier selfishness and criminality?

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Related topics:Yorkshire PostExtinction RebellionYorkshire

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