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What are the police paid to do? An illegal roadblock is installed and the police leave it in place. A senior citizen removes it to go about his lawful pursuits and the protestors call the police. Madness!
A Redfield retiree ripped down an Extinction Rebellion blockade so he could drive through.
Brian Salt, 73, usually drops his friend Lynne Mattin off for her evening cleaning shifts at a barristers’ chambers in Broad Street without trouble.
But this week he encountered a road-block on Newgate when trying to drive his camper van to Ms Mattin’s workplace at 5.40pm.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) has closed the route with a banner and signs each day this week as part of a bid to raise awareness of the ‘climate emergency’.
Mr Salt says activists have repeatedly refused to let him pass each evening, meaning Ms Mattin, 65, has had to walk about a quarter of a mile to work.
“She was in tears from the pain,” Mr Salt said. “She has a false knee and she can’t walk long distances.
“I tried to tell them this but they didn’t listen. It’s disgusting. Any sympathy people might have had for the protesters is gone.”
He says things have “turned nasty” each time he has tried to get through, so he decided to “have a bit of fun” just before 8pm yesterday (July 17).
Mr Salt continued: “I tried to do it nicely and it didn’t work. So when I went back to collect Lynne after her shift, I ripped down the banner and moved the signs.”
He laughed as he recalled: “They were shouting, ‘Call the police, call the police.’ I told them it wasn’t a legal road closure.
“I will repeat it the next time I drive Lynne to work. I am quite willing to get arrested. I am open about it.”
Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Extinction Rebellion have been approached for comment.
BristolPost
