- Title: Four arrested as activists douse UK Treasury in red liquid
- Date: 3rd October 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 3, 2019) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF UK TREASURY BUILDING / ACTIVISTS STANDING ON TOP OF FIRE ENGINE PARK IN FRONT OF TREASURY, POLICE STANDING IN FOREGROUND POLICE LEADING AWAY DETAINING ACTIVIST ACTIVISTS STANDING ON TOP OF FIRE ENGINE DRAPED IN SIGN READING (English): "Stop funding climate death", POOL OF RED PAINT TO LOOK LIKE BLOOD COVERING GROUND VARIOUS OF POLICE STANDING AROUND ACTIVIST SITTING ON GROUND OUTSIDE TREASURY WITH RED STAINS ON CLOTHING POLICE WALKING IN LINE IN FRONT OF ACTIVISTS STANDING ON FIRE ENGINE MAN IN TREASURY TAKING PHOTO FROM WINDOW ACTIVISTS STANDING ON FIRE ENGINE, 83-YEAR-OLD CLIMATE ACTIVIST PHIL KINGSTON SITTING DOWN KINGSTON SITTING DOWN ON TOP OF FIRE ENGINE ACTIVIST CLIMBING DOWN FROM FIRE ENGINE ON LADDER POLICE OFFICERS STANDING NEAR FIRE ENGINE POLICE OFFICERS HELPING KINGSTON CLIMB DOWN LADDER (SOUNDBITE) (English) 83-YEAR-OLD CLIMATE ACTIVIST, PHIL KINGSTON, SAYING: "Really happy to be here and to see so many people who are willing to publicise what that place is doing." POLICE VEHICLES DRIVING AWAY KINGSTON GETTING INTO POLICE VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST, ROBERT POSSNETT, SAYING: "It was beetroot juice and it was sprayed at the treasury to demonstrate that our taxpayer money is funding all sorts of things that is leading to the death of loads of people and not only loads of people now but in the future to come." ARRESTED PROTESTERS BEING DRIVEN AWAY IN POLICE VAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE ACTIVIST, ROBERT POSSNETT, SAYING: "They know that they're going to prison but they're sacrificing themselves to raise the awareness so that other people are prepared to stand up and say business as usual is not good enough. We need to stop this and we need to stop it now." FIRE ENGINE DRIVING AWAY/ PEOPLE STANDING BY POLICE OFFICER TAKING A STATEMENT EXTINCTION REBELLION PROTESTERS STANDING BEHIND LARGE SIGN WITH WORDS PARTIALLY OBSCURED
- Embargoed: 17th October 2019 12:59
- Keywords: Climate change activists extinction rebellion fire engine red paint treasury protest
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Environment,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZJL6PZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Climate change activists used a fire engine they claimed to have bought on eBay to spray red paint at the British finance ministry on Thursday (October 3) in an attempt to draw attention to what they said was the government's failure to avert a looming climate cataclysm.
The Extinction Rebellion activists drove up to the British Treasury in the fire engine and sprayed scarlet liquid through a hose onto the building - at one point losing control of the hose.
After the stunt, four activists stood atop the fire engine which had a banner saying "Stop funding climate death". The steps of the Treasury were soaked in dripping red, which one protester at the scene said was beetroot juice.
Police said they arrested four people on suspicion of criminal damage and that some roads had been closed. At the scene, police puzzled over what to do with the fire engine as the driver removed the keys.
Extinction Rebellion wants non-violent civil disobedience to force governments to cut carbon emissions and avert a climate crisis it says will bring starvation and social collapse.
(Production: Ben Makori, Iona Serrapica, Marissa Davison, Lucy Marks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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