Insulate Britain protesters glue themselves to High Court instead of attending hearing

‘The four of us feel we have to continue our resistance,’ note to judge says

Activists from Insulate Britain defy the High Court by failing to return to the afternoon session of their committal hearing (AFP via Getty Images)

Four Insulate Britain protesters have glued themselves to the steps of the High Court as they refused to attend their own hearing.

The judge ordered their arrest “after they chose to continue their resistance” outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, the climate group said.

The four activists were among 19 Insulate Britain protesters who faced a court hearing on Tuesday for allegedly breaching an injunction that banned them from blocking roads.

But this group - 63-year-old Theresa Norton, 62-year-old Dr Diana Warner, 35-year-old El Litten and 62-year-old Steve Pritchard - said they would not attend the afternoon session.

The judge read out a note from these activists to court, which said: “The four of us feel we have to continue our resistance today because we don’t want to cooperate with a system which is causing so much death and hardship”.

The activists wore orange high-vis vests as they sat hand-in-hand on the court steps on Tuesday afternoon, with Insulate Britain saying they had glued themselves to the ground.

The climate group - which carries out disruptive protests in a call for more action on home insulation - claimed these four risked prison sentences for non-attendance at court.

Police removed them from the steps one by one, with the final one being unglued just after 5pm.

Police forces unstick the hands of Insulate Britain activist Steve Pritchard (AFP via Getty Images)

All four were led into the court building and taken into custody amid cheers from fellow protesters.

In the hearing on Tuesday, three defendants - 49-year0old Arne Springorum, 37-year-old Liam Norton and 25-year-old Jessica Causby - were told by a judge they were “free to go” as they had not breached any injuction during a protest last November on the M25.

The other activists in court admit or do not contest claims they breached a High Court injunction in relation to Insulate Britain protests on the M25 in late October last year, according to National Highways’ written arguments.

Judges are expected to give their ruling on Wednesday.

Members of Insulate Britain were jailed towards the end of last year over breaches of an injuction barring them from blocking traffic and access to thousands of miles of roads in the country.

The climate group began a wave of demonstrations in September last year, which included blocking the M25 and other roads in London including around parliament, as well as roads in Birmingham, Manchester and around the Port of Dover in Kent.