Insulate Britain blocks access to port of Dover

Climate protesters have blocked the entrance to the port of Dover in Kent. Insulate Britain said more than 40 of its supporters in two groups have blocked the A20 road.

This has led to vehicles attempting to cross the Channel being stuck in queues. The offshoot of Extinction Rebellion caused chaos on the M25 five times in the past fortnight, but they have been threatened with imprisonment if they return to the motorway. They also held a demonstration outside the Home Office’s Westminster headquarters.

Protesters from Insulate Britain block the A20 (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Climate emissions

A spokesperson for the group, which wants the government to insulate and retrofit homes across the UK to cut climate emissions, said:

We are blocking Dover this morning to highlight that fuel poverty is killing people in Dover and across the UK.

We must tell the truth about the urgent horror of the climate emergency.

Change at the necessary speed and scale requires economic disruption.

Protesters from Insulate Britain sit on top of a vehicle (Gareth Fuller/PA)

We wish it wasn’t true, but it is.

It’s why the 2000 fuel protests got a U-turn in policy and gave (Tony) Blair his biggest challenge as prime minister.

Port of Dover

The port of Dover is Europe’s busiest ferry port, handling 17% of the UK’s trade in goods. It was used by an average of 6,200 road haulage vehicles every day last year.

Protesters lie in front of lorries — Protesters sit in front of lorries (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The blockage comes amid disruption to supplies across the UK due to a shortage of lorry drivers. The port of Dover said in a statement:

Port of Dover confirms protesters are currently blocking the entrance to the port.

Please allow extra time for your journey and check with your ferry operator for updates. The port remains open.