Farmer’s sit down protest in high street over fears for future

A DEVON farmer has been arrested after staging a sit-down road protest in a busy high street.

Inspired by Greta Thunberg and other young environmentalists, Joe FitzGerald, an organic fruit and veg farmer from Beer, carried out a oneman protest in Honiton High Street yesterday morning.

He sat in the middle of the road at 11am wearing a sandwich board that read one side: “I’m terrified for the future of all our children, because of the climate crisis.”

On the other side it read: “COP our future burns.”

Mr FitzGerald was arrested by police within half an hour and has been taken into custody.

Prior to his arrest he issued a press release stating: “I am sitting in the middle of the High Street in Honiton because I am terrified for all children of the world because of the climate crisis. The agreements being made by our world leaders at COP 26 are going to kill us.

“I have been farming for 11 years and, with my children, enjoy the connection with nature. I can see though that all around me is now under threat like never before with the changing climate: more frequent severe weather and the abnormal temperatures affect the crops. And I know this is worse in other countries around the world. The huge loss of wildlife and natural habitats in the pursuit of financial gain and the destruction of our planet’s protective atmosphere by the addiction to burning fossil fuels will make regions uninhabitable.

“The resultant migration of people – that has already begun – and decline in food production will be unsustainable.”

He added: “In sitting here in the road today I am inspired, by the energy of young people led by Greta Thunberg and the persistent marches of school children calling, ‘who’s future? Our future!’, to highlight the crisis and honour my parental responsibility to mine and all children.”

The protest coincides with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Cop26 drawing to a close in Glasgow this week.