Family of jailed Insulate Britain activist raise £8,500 to pay his rent
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The family of a jailed Insulate Britain activist have raised more than £8,500 to cover his rent while he is in prison.
Oliver Rock, a self-employed carpenter from Berkshire, is among nine Insulate Britain activists jailed after blockading the M25 in defiance of a High Court injunction in November.
His sister, Isabel Rock, told the PA news agency the fundraiser had “exceeded my wildest expectations”, with donations flooding in over the last two days.
The 41-year-old was sentenced to four months in prison, and will be serving a minimum of two.
Insulate Britain began a wave of protests in September, blocking the M25, other roads in London including around Parliament, roads in Birmingham and Manchester, and near the Port of Dover in Kent.
Rock’s family appealed for help to cover his £700 per month rent and help him “get back on his feet” after his prison term.
Their target has since been exceeded, raising more than £8,500, with donations ranging from £1 to £2,000 from an anonymous donor.
Writing on the fundraising page, Ms Rock said she is “so proud” of her brother and described him as “kind hearted, generous and morally upstanding”.
She added: “Olly acted to protect the most vulnerable in society and for this he is being punished.
“The Government would rather send peaceful protesters to prison than act to insulate homes and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis that we are in.”
So far, 161 people have been involved in Insulate Britain’s roadblock campaign and there have been more than 800 arrests.
