Demonstration: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s country estate was draped in black fabric by Greenpeace demonstrators on Thursday (August 3) as a mark of protest against his plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
In a video posted by the group, a crew was seen dressed in bright red jumpsuits, helmets, and climbing onto the roof of the Yorkshire house using ladders.
They unfurled long black sheets of fabric in the front of the home and held a sign on the rooftop reading ‘No New Oil’.
Sunak was not home during the incident as he is vacationing with his family in California. North Yorkshire Police said officers were at the location.
The incident took place after the British Prime Minister on Monday announced that Britain will grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea to gain energy independence.
The move triggered massive criticism from environmental groups which accused the government of backsliding on its pledge to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050.
"Oil Profits or Our Future"
As four Greenpeace members were on the roof of the British leader's country house, two others stood on the front lawn holding a banner with the words “Rishi Sunak — Oil Profits or Our Future?”
“We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist," said Philip Evans of Greenpeace.
"Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling, Evans added.
Visual of PM's house draped
The UN scientists and environmental groups have called upon global leaders to move away from fossil fuels faster after record-high temperatures, drought, and floods linked to man-made climate change are being witnessed.
Burning oil and gas to power vehicles, factories, and electricity-generating stations releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide, the main driver of global warming.
Defending the prime minister’s climate policies, a statement from Sunak's office said, "We make no apology for taking the right approach to ensure our energy security, using the resources we have here at home so we are never reliant on aggressors like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin for our energy.”
The protest is one of dozens of high-profile demonstrations in the UK and across Europe by groups that have disrupted sporting events, caused massive traffic jams and performed shocking stunts to draw attention to the climate crisis and try to stop production of fossil fuels.
(With AP inputs)
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