Skip to main content
Watch later

Why do people hate Insulate Britain? Inside the controversial protest movement

2021• 15 minPG

Synopsis

Nine activists face imprisonment for demanding the UK government fulfill its election pledges to insulate homes and address climate change.

Deep Dive

Why Watch

  • Follow Damian Gale as he navigates intense protests.
  • See how activists prepare for long standoffs with police.
  • Meet Oliver, who faces court for his climate activism.

Did You Know

  • Nine activists were summoned to a high court for breaking an injunction.
  • Activists aimed to have at least 100 people arrested during COP26.
  • Damian Gale has been on the road with Insulate Britain for two months.
  • Protesters carry sandwiches and fruit for long waits during demonstrations.

Perfect For

Climate activismProtest strategiesGovernment accountability
Read full Deep Dive →
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main goal of Insulate Britain?

Insulate Britain aims to force the government to insulate the nation's homes.

How many activists from Insulate Britain were summoned to the high court?

Nine activists from Insulate Britain were summoned to the high court for breaking an injunction.

What do Insulate Britain activists hope will happen during the COP26 climate summit?

The activists originally wanted at least 100 people to be arrested during the COP26 climate summit.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Who are Just Stop Oil? Where the controversial climate protesters began (2022)
17m

Who are Just Stop Oil? Where the controversial climate protesters began

2022•17m

Damien Gayle reports on Just Stop Oil's efforts to disrupt the UK's fossil fuel network.

Who are Just Stop Oil? Where the controversial climate protesters began
2022
Life inside Extinction Rebellion: 'We can't get arrested quick enough' (2018)
14m

Life inside Extinction Rebellion: 'We can't get arrested quick enough'

2018•14m

Extinction Rebellion paralyzes London with protests and blocks five bridges over the Thames.

Life inside Extinction Rebellion: 'We can't get arrested quick enough'
2018
Enough is Enough: cost of living and climate campaigners promise 'autumn of anger' (2022)
16m

Enough is Enough: cost of living and climate campaigners promise 'autumn of anger'

2022•16m

Millions of people in the UK face the choice between heating and eating amid a rising cost of living crisis and a growing climate movement.

Enough is Enough: cost of living and climate campaigners promise 'autumn of anger'
2022
Militant French Eco-Activists Protest Deforestation: Fight for the Forest (2014)
14m

Militant French Eco-Activists Protest Deforestation: Fight for the Forest

2014•14m

On September 1st, the city's General Council authorized the clearing of 41 acres of trees in the s Forest, sparking violent protests from around 100 activists.

Militant French Eco-Activists Protest Deforestation: Fight for the Forest
2014
Peak Oil (2008)
10m

Peak Oil

2008•10m

Militant activists attack scientists and destroy labs while questioning the peak oil crisis.

Peak Oil
2008
We need to talk about radical climate protests (2023)
12m

We need to talk about radical climate protests

2023•12m

Just Stop Oil activists threw a can of tomato soup on Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting in London, sparking widespread debate about their protest tactics.

We need to talk about radical climate protests
2023
Owen Jones meets Extinction Rebellion (2019)
14m

Owen Jones meets Extinction Rebellion

2019•14m

Extinction Rebellion has been active for 30 years, using peaceful protest and civil disobedience to push the climate crisis onto the political agenda.

Owen Jones meets Extinction Rebellion
2019
Toxic Tours and Civil Disobedience: COP21 - Climate Emergency (Dispatch 3) (2015)
13m

Toxic Tours and Civil Disobedience: COP21 - Climate Emergency (Dispatch 3)

2015•13m

Activists from ATTAC closed off a major French bank during COP21, unfurling a banner that read 'tax evasion zone' to protest hidden funds for climate action.

Toxic Tours and Civil Disobedience: COP21 - Climate Emergency (Dispatch 3)
2015
The people against King Charles: how protesters are getting ready for the coronation (2023)
11m

The people against King Charles: how protesters are getting ready for the coronation

2023•11m

A 1953 coronation marks the first since the Queen's reign, prompting renewed protests and discussions about republicanism in the UK.

The people against King Charles: how protesters are getting ready for the coronation
2023
Why is Britain so bleak? Brexit breakdown part 4 (2018)
12m

Why is Britain so bleak? Brexit breakdown part 4

2018•12m

A full coach carrying 52 workers from Walsall arrives at a political rally in Bolton, marking the largest pro-Brexit event since the referendum.

Why is Britain so bleak? Brexit breakdown part 4
2018
How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region (2025)
1h45m

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region

2025•1h45m

Changing Ocean Asia highlights urban challenges and solutions in Singapore's sinking cities.

How Asia Is Designing Floor-Proof Cities In Earth's Most Seismic Region
2025
Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change (2024)
47m

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change

2024•47m

Up to 10 tons of raw sand can be extracted from a single wind turbine blade through a new recycling process.

Green Heroes: Technology vs Climate Change
2024

Explore Why do people hate Insulate Britain? Inside the controversial protest movement

Deep DiveTopicsFAQ

Browse more like this

The Troublemaker (2020)
56m

The Troublemaker

2020•56m•★10.0

Over 50 civil protests erupted globally in response to the climate crisis, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Troublemaker
2020
Barricade: Pictures of a Forest Occupation (2021)
1h23m

Barricade: Pictures of a Forest Occupation

2021•1h23m•★6.0

Activists occupied treehouses up to 30 meters high in the Dannenrod Forest for over a year to stop deforestation for a new motorway.

Barricade: Pictures of a Forest Occupation
2021
Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws (2011)
1h28m

Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws

2011•1h28m•★5.5

Activists super-glue themselves to bank trading floors and blockade factories in a year-long campaign against environmental destruction.

Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws
2011
Wild Things (2020)
1h27m

Wild Things

2020•1h27m•★6.0

16-year-old Greta Thunberg inspires thousands of students to participate in national strikes demanding action against climate change.

Wild Things
2020
Finite: The Climate of Change (2023)
1h38m

Finite: The Climate of Change

2023•1h38m•★10.0

Concerned citizens in Germany risk their safety to protect an ancient forest from Europe’s largest coal mine while forming an alliance with activists in England.

Finite: The Climate of Change
2023
Direct Action (2024)
Worth a watch
3h36m

Direct Action

2024•3h36m•★4.9

Activists in France mobilize grassroots organizing and direct action to address the climate crisis during a major protest movement.

Direct Action
2024
Rebellion for Future (2025)
1h20m

Rebellion for Future

2025•1h20m•★6.0

Over two years, activists block factories and streets in Lapland and Helsinki, facing arrests and violent confrontations with authorities.

Rebellion for Future
2025
No gazaran (2014)
1h30m

No gazaran

2014•1h30m•★7.0

20,000 people gather in southern France in February 2011 to protest against shale gas licenses granted through backroom deals.

No gazaran
2014
Lima grita (2018)
1h20m

Lima grita

2018•1h20m•★8.0

In Lima's vibrant neighborhoods, artists like Lorena Tulini shape the city's experimental music culture through a dynamic underground scene.

Lima grita
2018
Oblivion (2008)
Worth an evening
1h33m

Oblivion

2008•1h33m•★4.9

More than 15,000 children live on the streets of Lima, Peru, facing daily challenges in a city marked by class differences and corruption.

Oblivion
2008
The Power of Activism (2022)
53m

The Power of Activism

2022•53m•★8.0

Six female activists address environmental issues like shark conservation and plastic pollution, revealing solutions that could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Power of Activism
2022
A Streetcar on Broadway (2006)
20m

A Streetcar on Broadway

2006•20m•★6.5

Twenty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews reveal the creative process behind the adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire from stage to screen.

A Streetcar on Broadway
2006

Related Films

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →