Greenpeace volunteers occupy Parliament to save the climate

Date added: 11 October, 2009

11.10.2009  

There are loads of photos at     http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeaceuk/

From the Greenpeace website   (includes video clips)

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/

Tomorrow MPs return from their summer break and the government’s own Committee
on Climate Change will publish a progress report on UK carbon emissions.   They
make it clear that Britain is not doing enough to meet its commitments, and insist
that a “step change” in emissions cuts is needed.  With just 60 days go until
the critical climate summit in Copenhagen – which faces a very real chance of
failure as things stand – Britain has yet to show true commitment to making the
process a success.   We need politicians who are thinking about the next generation,
not just the next election.

The climbers have unfurled a banner on the roof of the Palace of Westminster’s
Great Hall which says: “CHANGE THE POLITICS, SAVE THE CLIMATE.” They are vowing
to stay on the roof overnight so they can welcome politicians back in the morning.

and later:

11.10.2009   (BBC)

Parliament protesters vow to stay

At least 20 climate protesters will remain on the roof of Parliament overnight,
Greenpeace has said.

More than 50 had scaled Westminster Hall in the latest security breach there
but about half have now come down assisted by police.

Those that stay have food, warm clothes, sleeping bags and modified chairs, Greenpeace
told the BBC.

‘Golden opportunity’

The demonstrators, some of whom plan to stay on the roof throughout Monday, unfurled
banners and flags stating “change the politics, save the climate”.

They say they entered the grounds of the Palace of Westminster by using ropes
and ladders to scale perimeter fencing before clambering on to the roof of Westminster
Hall, the oldest part of the building.

The activists, aged from their early 20s to 71, said they intended to ask MPs
to sign a climate manifesto on Monday morning.

Political parties have got to get on message not just in terms of their words but also with their deeds John Sauven Past security breaches

One, 28-year-old Anna Jones, said the protest would remind MPs they “simply haven’t
done enough to stop climate change and we need to see some action at home”.

Greenpeace denied the protest was dangerous and said it wanted to “raise the
temperature” about the climate change debate ahead of Parliament’s return.

It said it was alarmed at the lack of attention given to the issue by the political
parties, particularly Labour and the Conservatives, at their recent conferences.

Executive director John Sauven said leading politicians from all the major parties
were failing to come up with concrete plans for green jobs to match their rhetoric
on the subject.

“They have got to act more seriously on the issue,” he told the BBC. “It is missing
from the political agenda and we have got to get it on the political agenda. That
is why we are here.”

The Conservatives, meanwhile, said that communities which agree to onshore wind
farms will be able to keep revenues they generate from business rates for six
years.

The Commons Climate Change Select Committee will publish a report on Monday assessing
how the UK is doing on reducing emissions, meeting carbon budgets and building
a low-carbon economy.

Security in Parliament was increased in 2004 after some high-profile breaches
but questions have continued to be raised about protection levels.

Last year, activists from Plane Stupid occupied the roof for three hours in protest
against Heathrow expansion, resulting in five activists being found guilty of
trespass.

Incidents in 2004 included a group of campaigners from Greenpeace scaling Big
Ben’s clock tower.

Pro-hunt protesters stormed the Commons chamber in the same year, while campaigners
from Fathers 4 Justice threw purple powder at Tony Blair during prime minister’s
question time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8301586.stm

Posted: Sunday, October 11th, 2009. Filed in Publicity & Politics.