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​Extinction Rebellion Founder Says He Would Block Ambulance With Dying Patient From Road

​Extinction Rebellion Founder Says He Would Block Ambulance With Dying Patient From Road

Roger Hallam said he'd simply 'stay there' if an ambulance with a dying patient tried to pass him.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

An Extinction Rebellion founder has said he backs Insulate Britain's road blockades, even if they stop an ambulance getting a dying patient to a hospital - having said he would do the same.

Earlier today, footage captured by LBC showed the desperation of a woman blocked by Blackwall Tunnel in east London as she tried to rush to hospital to visit her mother.

Confronting the protestors directly, she said: "She's in the ambulance, she's going to the hospital in Canterbury, do you think I'm stupid?

"I need to go to the hospital, please let me pass. This isn't okay... How can you be so selfish?"

Twitter/LBC

Roger Hallam - who co-founded Extinction Rebellion, of which Insulate Britain is an off-shoot - appeared on The London Economic's Unbreak the Planet podcast to discuss the day's events.

Host Mike Galsworthy asked him: "What would you do in this situation, if it was not an Insulate Britain protest, but a Roger Hallam protest, in that circumstance, what would you do?"

Hallam replied: "I'd stay there."

Galsworthy then said: "And if it were an ambulance, and there was someone that could potentially die in there, would you stay there?"

Without hesitation, Hallam said: "Yep."

Alamy

Hallam - an organic farmer who lost his business due to extreme weather - went on to try and justify his stance, continuing: "What we're talking about is the loss of people's pensions in the next ten years, the loss of people's incomes, the mass migration of hundreds of millions of people, the indescribable injustice to people of colour in the global south because of the collective selfishness of people in the north.

"We're talking about the biggest crime in human history imposed by the rich against the global poor."

Along with the protest at Blackwall Tunnel, campaigners also targeted Wandsworth Bridge, Hanger Lane and Arnos Grove.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a number of arrests have been made.

Twitter/Talk Radio

In a statement issued earlier today, the force said: "Officers are dealing with protestors who have blocked parts of the A2, A3, A12 and A40. While the roads remain open, there is heavy disruption at all four locations with slow-moving traffic while work is underway to remove those who have glued themselves onto the road.

"So far, 38 arrests have been made for disruption of the highway and conspiracy to cause public nuisance."

It added: "We consider protests of this nature unreasonable and are acting as quickly as possible to minimise disruption caused to members of the public using the roads."

Insulate Britain has also previously staged protests at busy spots including the M25, the M4 and the Port of Dover.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: UK News, News, extinction rebellion