Four Greenpeace demonstrators have been arrested after draping the private home of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and in black fabric to protest his oil drilling policy.
Key points:
- The protesters held signs that read “oil profits or our future” and “no new oil”
- The group said it is opposing the government’s backing of new oil and gas licences
- The PM’s office said it will not apologise for ensuring the country’s energy security
Video posted by the group showed a crew dressed in bright red jumpsuits, helmets and safety harnesses carrying ladders and climbing onto the roof of the £2 million ($3.87 million) property in Yorkshire, northern England.
They slowly unfurled long black sheets of fabric over the front of the home and held a yellow sign on the roof that read “no new oil”.
Two others stood on the front lawn holding a banner with the words ” Rishi Sunak — oil profits or our future?”
The protest lasted for about five hours before police brought four protesters down from the roof shortly before 1pm.
Mr Sunak went on holiday with his family to California on Wednesday and was not home at the time.
Police said no one had entered the building and “there was no threat to the wider public throughout this incident” as the area was contained.
Two men and two women remain in police custody on suspicion of causing criminal damage and public nuisance, North Yorkshire Police said.
Greenpeace said it was protesting the government’s backing for new North Sea oil and gas licences and a proposed development of Equinor’s Rosebank oilfield, which is subject to a final investment decision.
“We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist,” Greenpeace UK’s Philip Evans said.
“Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling.”
Mr Sunak’s office defended the prime minister’s climate policies and said he will not apologise for supporting new domestic oil and gas exploration.
“We make no apology for taking the right approach to ensure our energy security,” it said in a statement.
It was right for Britain to use domestic resources “so we are never reliant on aggressors like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin for our energy.”
“We are also investing in renewables and our approach supports 1000s of British jobs.”
A separate protest also took place outside Mr Sunak’s official Downing Street residence and office on Thursday.
Mr Sunak’s record on environmental issues has come under scrutiny in recent months after he said he would take a “proportionate approach” to climate change that balances net zero ambitions with the need to keep consumers’ bills down.
That has drawn fury from climate protesters who have stepped up their campaigns, disrupting high-profile sporting events, classical music concerts and political speeches.
In response, Mr Sunak’s ministers have introduced new laws to clamp down on “eco-mob” protester tactics including slow walking in busy roads and “locking-on” to buildings or infrastructure.
Major security failing
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said protesters should “stop the stupid stunts”.
A former deputy chief constable in North Yorkshire called for an investigation into how the group was able to get into the Prime Minister’s house.
Peter Walker, who retired from the force in 2003, told LBC radio that he was “absolutely astonished” by the “major breach of security”.
“If free access is being granted to that property, people who wanted to do much more serious things would be able to leave devices or booby traps or something like that,” he said.
“This is a major failing, and it grieves me to say it because it’s my old police force that has failed.”
Britain’s energy dilemma
Britain in 2019 set a 2050 net zero carbon emission target and was quick to build up its renewable energy capacity.
But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned the spotlight on energy security, with the government on Monday committing to granting hundreds of licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction as part of efforts to become more energy independent.
It also approved its first new deep coal mine in decades in December.
A poll released on Wednesday showed 67 per cent of voters thought the government was handling environmental issues badly, the worst rating since mid-2019 when YouGov began tracking public opinion on the issue.
Some in Mr Sunak’s Conservative party are alarmed over the Prime Minister’s perceived backsliding over environmental commitments, with one minister, who quit in June, saying Mr Sunak was uninterested on green issues.
Mr Sunak defended his environmental record on Wednesday, saying Britain had done a better job than other major countries in cutting carbon emissions.
Reuters/AP/ABC