Greenpeace climate protesters climb atop UK prime minister's home, hang black fabric
Greenpeace protesters hung black fabric from the home of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was not there at the time, Thursday.
Climate activists covered the British prime minister's home in black cloth to protest his oil policy.
Four members of activist group Greenpeace were arrested Thursday in North Yorkshire, England, after covering the facade of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's house in black drapes to protest new oil policies.
"We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist," said Philip Evans of Greenpeace. "Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling."
UK PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK MAKES CLIMATE ACTIVISTS SEETHE IN BOLD MOVE FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Greenpeace activists on the roof of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's house in Richmond, North Yorkshire, after covering it in black fabric in protest of his backing expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling. (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
The activists – clothed in bright orange jumpsuits – climbed onto the roof of the prime minister's residence and stayed with the display until their arrest. The group also unrolled a banner declaring, "NO NEW OIL."
The demonstration took place while Sunak was on vacation in California.
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Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits the Great British Beer Festival in London. (Daniel Leal - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Greenpeace organized the stunt to protest Sunak's announcement on Monday that Britain will be pursuing energy independence via expansion of oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.
The announcement angered environmental groups, who have cited the nation's past promises to bring its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050.
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Greenpeace activists on the roof of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's house after covering it in black fabric. (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Sunak has not backed down from the oil and gas expansion, however, citing national security interests in divesting from Russian oil.
"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," Sunak's office said in a statement defending his climate policies.
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Greenpeace activists are led away from the prime minister's house by police. (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Climate activists have staged increasingly public stunts in recent years to bring attention to their cause.
European ecological groups have vandalized paintings, stopped traffic on major roads, and even disrupted weddings to grab public attention.
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