Animal rights activists scaled the Defra and Home Office building in London today as they demanded ‘government support for a plant-based food system’ at Cop26.
Several activists from Animal Rebellion climbed up the structure on Marsham Street in Westminster, which houses both departments, from about 6am this morning.
But the Metropolitan Police, which said it was ‘engaging with the protestors’, allowed the protest to go on for more than four hours – with it still continuing as of 10.30am.
The group, which is affiliated to Extinction Rebellion, organised the protest ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow which starts this Sunday.
Animal Rebellion, which was founded in July 2019, said it would continue to take action until the Government ‘defunds meat and subsidises a plant-based transition’.
Police, firefighters and paramedics were all at the scene, and the protesters – who were all wearing climbing equipment – then dropped a banner over the entrance.
The entrance was cordoned off by officers, with a small group of activists on the ground watching their fellow protesters who posed with their banner and lit flares.
But one government official complained that police and fire crews were ‘just stood watching’ the activists. They said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. Just because they have a banner saying ”Go Vegan” doesn’t mean they don’t have malicious intent.’
Another miffed government official said of the protest this morning: ‘Not sure them gluing themselves to an empty building responsible for policing and national security is going to make their case for the world to become vegan.’
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the Home Office building in London today
Police officers watch as activists from Animal Rebellion display a banner in London today
Animal Rebellion activists light red flares on the front of the Home Office building today
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the side of the Home Office building today
Animal Rebellion activists unfurl a sign today after climbing up the Home Office building
Animal Rebellion activists wear climbing equipment as they hold onto the building today
Animal Rebellion activists wave flares around after climbing up the building this morning
Animal Rebellion activists rest after hanging a banner from the front of the Home Office today
People watch as Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the Home Office building today
Activists from Animal Rebellion rest after displaying a banner on the building this morning
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the side of the Home Office in London today
Activists from Animal Rebellion rest after displaying a banner on the building this morning
Activist Claudia Penna Rojas said: ‘We are here in the lead-up to Cop26 demanding that the Government takes drastic action by transitioning to a plant-based food system as the science tells us we need to.’
She acknowledged that ‘not everyone will be willing to give up meat immediately’ but ‘what we are asking is for the Government to be responsible, to stop subsidising animal agriculture – dairy, meat – and begin subsidising more ethical, sustainable ways of farming’.
The large yellow sign read: ‘Cop: Invest in a plant-based future’, while another activist stood in front of the building holding a placard saying: ‘Defund meat’.
They told a Sky News reporter at the scene: ‘Ahead of Cop26 we are calling for – no, demanding – that the world wake up and switch to a fully plant-based diet.’
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Police were called at 6.09am following reports that a number of protesters had scaled a government building in Marsham Street.
People watch as Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from Home Office building today
Activists from Animal Rebellion display a banner after scaling the building this morning
Animal Rebellion activists unfurl a banner after scaling the Defra building in London today
The banner unfurled on the Defra building today states: ‘Cop: Invest in a plant-based future’
The activists from Animal Rebellion scaled the building on Marsham Street in London today
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the Home Office building in London today
Activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the Home Office and Defra building in London today
Activists from Animal Rebellion unfurl the sign after scaling the outside of the building today
Another activist stood in front of the building this morning with a sign saying: ‘Defund meat’
Environmental protesters attach themselves to the outside of the building this morning
The large yellow sign unfurled by the activists today says: ‘Cop: Invest in a plant-based future’
The building on Marsham Street in London contains offices for the Home Office and Defra
Activists from Animal Rebellion scale the building to unfurl the banner this morning
Activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the Home Office on Marsham Street in London today
Activists from Animal Rebellion unfurl a banner on the building in Westminster today
Activists from Animal Rebellion unfurl a banner after scaling the building in Westminster today
‘Officers are on scene with the London Fire Brigade. There have been no arrests at this time.’ The force said on Twitter that it was ‘engaging with the protestors’.
An Animal Rebellion spokesman tweeted: ‘Animal Rebellion protestors have scaled Defra, demanding government support for a plant-based food system at Cop26.
‘The protestors have said that they will take action until the government defunds meat and subsidises a plant-based transition.
‘Meat and dairy is one of the leading producers of greenhouse gases and causes 90 per cent of Amazon deforestation.
‘World leaders at cannot talk about meeting the Paris climate targets and securing global net zero without addressing that our food system is destroying our planet.’
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the front of the Home Office building today
Police officers watch as Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the building today
A police officer gestures towards people as the Animal Rebellion activists protest today
Activists from Animal Rebellion protest on the building in Westminster this morning
Animal Rebellion activists hang a banner from the side of the Home Office building today
The animal rights activists carry out their protest on the front of the building this morning
Animal rights activists scale the Defra and Home Office building in Westminster this morning
Animal Rebellion activists prepare to unfurl a banner on the Defra building in London today
Animal Rebellion activists climbed up the structure in London from about 6am this morning
Activists from Animal Rebellion hold onto the outside of the Defra building in London today
Several activists from Animal Rebellion climbed up the structure on Marsham Street today
The spokesman added: ‘We’ll be posting updates as the day unfolds. Stay tuned… #COP26 #EnoughCopOuts #PlantBasedFuture.’
In response to the tweets, some social media users supported the group’s actions, saying ‘Yaaaaaaaaas!’ and ‘Go you guys! The activism that needs to happen.’
But one said: ‘I am going to eat meat for all three meals today, despite usually aiming to go meat free for at least two. This is purely because I find your methods completely odious.’
And another added: ‘I don’t want to eat a plant based alternative to meat. Who do these people think they are? It’s personal choice what people choose to eat.’
Activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the outside of the Defra building in London today
The activists are demanding ‘government support for a plant-based food system’ at Cop26
The group are protesting ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow
Police, firefighters and paramedics are all at the scene on Marsham Street in London today
The activists are all wearing climbing equipment and later dropped a banner over the entrance
Animal Rebellion was founded in July 2019 and is linked to the Extinction Rebellion group
The activists are demanding ‘government support for a plant-based food system’ at Cop26
Several activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the structure on Marsham Street today
Activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the outside of the Defra building in London today
The group is affiliated to Extinction Rebellion and is protesting in Westminster this morning
Animal rights activists scale the Defra and Home Office building in London this morning
The protesters arrive in their climbing gear and plan to scale the building in London today
The protest on the building, which houses the Home Office and Defra, began at 6am today
Several activists from Animal Rebellion climb up the structure on Marsham Street this morning
Others said: ‘Nice leather boots they are wearing’, and ‘Stand for election. Otherwise the public is entitled to laugh at you.’
It comes after Insulate Britain activists were effectively banned from all major roads in England yesterday following a landmark High Court ruling.
The eco-zealots, also linked to XR, brought parts of London to a standstill once again yesterday – several of them superglueing their hands, feet or faces to roads.
Judges approved the application of an injunction against protesting on 4,300 miles of motorways and major A-roads, also known as the Strategic Road Network.
Animal Rebellion, which was founded in July 2019, said it would continue to take action until the Government ‘defunds meat and subsidises a plant-based transition’
Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion previously protested at Trafalgar Square last month
Animal Rebellion were also behind turning the Buckingham Palace fountains red in August
Insulate Britain activists once again caused chaos in London yesterday as they brought traffic traffic to a standstill on Bishopsgate near Liverpool Street station
Anyone breaking it faces unlimited fines or jail for contempt of court. Yesterday’s blockades – the first in ten days by the group – triggered more fury from Londoners.
Also yesterday, Boris Johnson admitted the Cop26 climate conference could end in failure as it emerged the world has not met a key funding deadline.
The Prime Minister warned that it was ‘touch and go’ whether key goals would be met at the UN summit to tackle global warming.
He admitted ‘we might not get the agreements we need’ due to major world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, not attending the summit.
Eco mob say DON’T use the M25: Insulate Britain issue warning to drivers and urge police to ‘refuse’ to arrest them so they can carry out more protests tomorrow – with NO activists charged despite six weeks of chaos
Insulate Britain today urged drivers not to use the M25 as they threatened to bring chaos to the motorway once again tomorrow with a series of road blockades.
The environmental campaigners also asked police to refuse to arrest them and warned their ‘non-violent civil resistance’ will restart on the road from 7am tomorrow.
Insulate Britain added that if motorists do still choose to use the M25 tomorrow then their speed should be ‘reduced to 20 mph to minimise the risk of accidents’.
Police remove an Insulate Britain activist from a road near Southwark Bridge yesterday
It comes after the London-based activists were effectively banned from all major roads in England yesterday following a landmark High Court ruling.
The protesters have brought chaos to motorways and A roads over the last six weeks with hundreds of arrests made – but the Metropolitan Police has still charged no one.
In their latest demonstration, the eco-zealots brought parts of London to a standstill once again yesterday – several of them glueing their hands, feet or faces to roads.