Greenpeace activists climbed on top of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s mansion Thursday and draped it in an “oily-black fabric,” protesting against policies aimed at increasing oil and gas production, according to the BBC.
Sunak and his family were not present during the incident, the BBC reported. Greenpeace UK announced the use of “200 metres of oily-black fabric to drive home the dangerous consequences of a new drilling frenzy” on Twitter.
“We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist,” Philip Evans of Greenpeace said, according to The Associated Press. (RELATED: Climate Protestors Block Woman Trying To Drive Baby To Hospital, Video Shows)
NEWS FLASH: The science is clear, for a safe climate there must be NO NEW oil and gas projects. @RishiSunak you can’t be serious about approving more oil and gas?#NoNewOil #StopRosebank #Greenpeace pic.twitter.com/CDdXYaW7DJ
— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) August 3, 2023
The apparent protest comes after Sunak announced a major expansion of oil and gas licenses in the North Sea, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
“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,” a statement from Sunak’s office reportedly read.
“You really have to wonder how people have been able to gain access to the prime minister’s residence without hindrance,” former North Yorkshire Police official Peter Walker told the BBC.