Just Stop Oil activists spray paint Charles Darwin's grave inside Westminster Abbey
Two Just Stop oil activists have daubed orange paint over Charles Darwin’s marble headstone in Westminster Abbey.
The protesters entered the Abbey around 10am on Monday and sprayed “1.5 Is Dead” on Darwin’s grave - in reference to the news on Friday that the world has exceeded the “safe” 1.5C warming limit agreed by world leaders in Paris in 2015.
Police said two women have been arrested "on suspicion of causing criminal damage with what is believed to be powdered paint at Westminster Abbey".
The JSO supporters could be heard saying: “2024 was the hottest year on record. We have passed the 1.5 degree threshold that was supposed to keep us safe. Millions are being displaced, California is on fire and we have lost three quarters of all wildlife since the 1970’s. Darwin would be turning in his grave to know we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. The government’s plans will take us to over 3 degrees of warming. This will destroy everything we love. World leaders must stop burning oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
One of those taking action was Alyson Lee, 66, a retired teaching assistant from Derby, who said: “Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, we have already exceeded the so-called safe temperature rise of 1.5 degrees, and are heading for over 3 degrees of warming. This rapidly accelerating crisis means huge parts of the world will become unable to support life, resulting in millions of refugees, social collapse and extinction for countless species.
“Despite lots of fine words from international leaders, emissions are still rising. Without real action, words are useless, you cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. We need mass civil disobedience now, join us on the streets and help us reclaim parliament this April.”
Also taking part in the protest was Di Bligh, 77, a former CEO of Reading Council, who said: “Darwin once said- ‘It is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works cooperatively against common threats.
“Last year was the hottest since modern humans evolved. If we do not work together to reign in the corporations and billionaires driving us beyond our means, humanity will not be able to adapt to what is coming. We are on course to lose everything, and politicians are doing nowhere near enough to prevent it. How many will we have to bury as a result of climate breakdown and who will be left to mourn them?”
It comes as scientists say climate change has played a role in the devastating wildfires that have swept through parts of Los Angeles, killing at least 24 people and destroying thousands of homes.
A new study has found climate change has made the grasses and shrubs fuelling the LA fires more vulnerable to burning.
Decades of drought followed by two rainy years in 2022 and 2023, flipping again to very dry conditions towards the end of the 2024, have created a huge amount of tinder-dry vegetation ready to ignite, say researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.
