GREEN ZEALOTS’ RED FACES
Stunt by eco-activists to spray the Treasury in fake blood turns to farce as they lose control of hose ... and cover themselves!
THEY had planned to drench the Treasury in gallons of fake blood to protest against Government investment in fossil fuels.
But Extinction Rebellion protesters ended up spraying most of the 396 gallons of liquid – organic water mixed with beetroot – on themselves and bystanders yesterday morning.
The eco-warriors parked a gas-guzzling diesel fire engine outside the government building in central London for the stunt in what activists warned was the first of several ‘actions’ planned across the capital over the next fortnight.
Pictures showed how, using a highpressure hose, the protesters aimed the coloured water at the building’s facade but then lost control of it, flooding the road and spraying people nearby.
Four protesters in funeral dress were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Footage of the stunt – which was said to symbolise those dying because of climate change – suggests there were no police on the scene when the incident began. At least 30 officers and 12 police vehicles arrived later and a cordon was placed around the fire engine.
Reacting to the lack of police presence at the time of the stunt, Tory MP David Davies told MailOnline: ‘We were lucky it was just a group of climate change protesters with fake blood, next time it could be Isis or al Qaeda with a machine gun. We need to make sure that government buildings are protected.’
From Monday, eco-warriors plan to stage a ‘rebellion’ in London three times as big as their protest in the capital in April.
It comes after Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave said the climate change group had placed more strain on police this year than the Grenfell Tower fire and the London Bridge and Westminster terror attacks combined did in 2017. Since April, the force has pulled a record 83,000 frontline officers away from normal duties to tackle the Extinction Rebellion protests.
The activists had bought the fire engine on eBay for about £2,000. They had been insured and the vehicle had a valid MOT. A spokeswoman added that they would also pay the congestion charge for driving into central London.
Phil Kingston, 83, from Bristol, was one of several protesters on top of the 21-year- old fire truck, which had a banner reading ‘Stop funding climate death’ on its side. Speaking before the stunt, he said: ‘I fight with all my being for my four grandchildren in this situation of existential danger.
‘I come to the Treasury to challenge these practices and to demand radical change in them.’ Protesters shouted ‘you’re a hero’ as he was led away to a police van. Next week, Extinction Rebellion protests will take place in more than 60 cities around the world. A Treasury spokesman said: ‘The UK is a world leader on climate change – having reduced its emissions by 42 per cent between 1990 and 2017. We will continue to build on this proud record.’