Eco activist locks himself to football goalpost in Premier League protest

17 March 2022, 21:06 | Updated: 18 March 2022, 10:03

Eco-protester arrested after tying himself to goalpost.mp4

A young environmental protester has locked himself to a goalpost to disrupt the Premier League game between Everton and Newcastle.

The activist, Louis, attached himself to the post in support of Just Stop Oil, which demands the Government ends fossil fuel supply projects.

The group has released a statement from Louis, which said: "It's 2022 and it's time to look up, time to step up and not stand by. It's time to act like it's an emergency.

"Report after report is telling me that my future is going to be dire, and my government is telling me not to worry and pay into a pension.

"My generation is being shafted — we face a cost of living crisis, a housing crisis, a fuel crisis and an unliveable planet — but we have a choice.

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Insulate Britain- prison has 'emboldened me to take further action'

"We can choose to highlight that our climate is breaking down, we can choose to resist this government that is betraying us, we can choose to step up and not stand by."

The group is an offshoot of Insulate Britain, which caused chaos last year by repeatedly blocking major roads to demand the Government commit to insulating Britain's social housing stock.

Louis Mckechnie, 21, who wore clothing emblazoned with the Just Stop Oil message, was hauled off the pitch after police and stewards intervened with Bold cutters.

An enraged home fan also attempted to aid security by getting on the pitch, only to be removed himself.

Unrepentant engineering student Louis has already served half of a three-month sentence for gluing himself to the M25.

The defiant protestor previously told LBC exclusively that he felt "emboldened" by his time in prison and is now willing to spend the rest of his life behind bars to achieve his climate change goals.

It comes just says after the climate group sent 30 activists to the red carpet at the BAFTA awards.

Videos on social media showed protesters sitting on the ground on the red carpet, holding hands and chanting "just stop oil".

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The stunt comes after fellow protester, 'Kai', locked himself to the goal post yesterday during Liverpool 's 2-0 victory over Arsenal.

Speaking to LBC's Rachel Venables in January, Mckechnie said: "My experience of prison has emboldened me to take any future action regardless of whether prison is a consequence."

If Insulate Britain restarted their actions, breaching injunctions to block another motorway, he said he would "be there".

He added: "Absolutely. I feel that if we were able to save these 8,000 to 30,000 lives that are lost every year to fuel poverty, I'd spend the rest of my life in prison for that."

Mckechnie also said the group were prepared to "escalate" their actions, if the current methods of blocking roads and motorways fails to force the Government to bend to their demands to insulate all homes in Britain by 2030.

"I see the only way that these protests will stop is when our demands are met," Mckechnie said.

"When the Government acts on the climate crisis, acts on fuel poverty and stands up for its own people."

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Insulate Britain Interview In Full

He added: "I can't tell you what our next action will be, but I can tell you it will be non-violent."

The 21-year-old was one of nine Insulate Britain protesters taken to court after causing chaos on the M25 throughout 2021.

All nine admitted to breaching an injunction while blockading junction 25 of the motorway on October 8, during a High Court hearing.

Mckechnie previously said in a statement that the Government's decision to imprison members of the group would show their "cowardice".

He said: "They will lock us up and leave thousands to die of cold this winter, and millions to face climate chaos in the coming decades."