Drivers were involved in a four-way smash on the M25 as Insulate Britain activists blocked several junctions of the busy motorway for their climate change message.
Surrey Police said 25 Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion activists had been arrested just after 10am on Wednesday.
The force said: “We are also dealing with a road traffic collision at Junction 9 of the M25 involving four vehicles.
“Police, fire service and ambulances are currently on the scene.”
A police spokeswoman confirmed that all protesters have been arrested and are no longer on the carriage way.
The anticlockwise #M25 stays closed between #J10 #A3 and #J8 #Reigate after a serious collision 10-9 and also a demonstration between 9 and 8, with delays from #J12 #M3. Clockwise is slow past the scene – delays from before #J9 #Leatherhead pic.twitter.com/AG5JJtzGKQ
— BBC Radio London Travel (@BBCTravelAlert) September 15, 2021
Dozens of activists from Insulate Britain, which is demanding Government action on home insulation, stopped traffic at two sections of Britain’s busiest motorway on Wednesday for the second time in three days.
They targeted Junction 23 for South Mimms in Hertfordshire and the main carriageway from Junction 8 at Reigate to Junction 9 at Leatherhead, both in Surrey, at around 8am.
Demonstrators sat on the road, while stranded motorists beeped their horns.
President of motoring insurance group AA, Edmund King, said that during the last Insulate Britain blockade, a thermal insulation engineer was prevented from going to work after being stuck in the traffic queue.
On Wednesday he said: “Whilst most people understand the need to take action on climate change, these motorway blockade tactics are just backfiring as they are alienating the working public stuck in this chaos and subsequently pumping out more emissions.
“It is somewhat ironic that thermal insulation engineers trying to insulate Britain were stuck in the congestion caused by Insulate Britain.
“Essential deliveries, emergency services, people missing hospital and business appointments are all hit by these blockades.
“Hopefully the police will take immediate action to unblock the arteries of Britain.”
