BARE-CHESTED women chained themselves to the railings of Parliament to protest against government allegedly failing to adequately address climate change.
The 30 Extinction Rebellion (XR) members said that they wanted to “bare the truth” about the predicted consequences of climate change, standing in defiance with the words “war,” “drought” and “famine” written across their bare chests.
The action was also aimed at highlighting the government’s alleged “failure to communicate the severity of the climate and ecological crisis to the public,” the group said.
As MPs headed to Parliament, the women locked on to the railings using D-locks around their necks and held up a sign reading: “Can’t Bare the Truth?”
Police officers later removed the women, with some being carried into awaiting police vans.
Teacher and XR member Sarah Mintram, who took part in the action, said: “Now we’ve got your attention … By neglecting to communicate the consequences of a 4˚C world – war, famine, drought, displacement – the government is failing to protect us.
“Preparing for a 4˚C increase in temperatures is failing the next generation and those in the global south already suffering the most dire consequences.”
Yesterday was the last of 10 days of protests by XR to demand the government take action to tackle the climate emergency.
The semi-naked protests aren’t the first of their type for the UK’s Extinction Rebellion movement, with activists recently having infiltrated the House of Commons posing as ordinary members of the public, before revealing their bare skin and mottos to the MPs below from the public gallery.
On Tuesday, Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel described the group as eco-crusaders turned criminals whose “guerilla tactics” must be stopped.
“I refuse point-blank to allow that kind of anarchy on our streets,” she said.
