November 5, 2024

Climate activists superglued themselves in a chain around the Speaker’s chair in the House of Commons chamber.

Extinction Rebellion said its supporters launched the protest in parliament in support of a “citizens’ assembly” to help take action on the climate crisis.

The campaign group tweeted a photo showing three women holding hands in front of the green leather chair where the Speaker sits when parliament is in session. Two men are standing on the other side holding banners.

One read “Let the people decide” and the other said “Citizens’ assembly today”.

The group wrote: “Extinction Rebellion supporters superglued around the Speaker’s chair in the Commons chamber.

“Today inside the parliament a speech was read that requested an assembly of citizens today: ‘We are in crisis. We can’t go on like this’.

“It is possible to act on climate and costs in a way that is fair and supportive of everyone. But our political system is too outdated and too old to see ahead of the next election cycle and do what needs to be done. We need a new way of making decisions, where more voices are heard, not just those at the top. We need the true diversity of the country to be represented.

“We need a citizens’ assembly, now. Citizens’ assemblies empower ordinary people to make decisions that benefit everyone. Decisions that can get us out of this mess and make life better , safer, fairer for all of us.

At the same time, two protesters – also holding banners – D-locked themselves by their necks to the railings outside parliament. According to XR, another activist scaled the scaffolding surrounding Big Ben and held a giant banner that read: “Let the people decide: citizens’ assemblies now”.

A Commons spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident in the parliamentary estate and are now dealing with the situation as a matter of urgency.”

The Metropolitan police tweeted: “The Met is aware of a demonstration by a number of protesters at the Palace of Westminster. Police and parliamentary staff are responding.”

In a statement, XR described the actions as the “opening action” for further protests it plans this month, including a three-day occupation of Hyde Park, “which itself will act as an event to launch for a five-phase plan to bring 100,000 people to the streets of civil resistance next spring”.

A citizens’ assembly on solutions to the climate crisis has been one of XR’s main demands since it emerged as a major force in environmental activism in 2018.

“Assemblies of independent citizens can show that those who block progress in Westminster do not have the democratic mandate to continue destroying the environment and return power to the people,” said Alanna Byrne, a spokeswoman for XR .

Oscar Berglund, a political scientist at the University of Bristol who studies protest movements, tweeted: “Well done for getting in there. But it’s an extraordinary demand. The House of Commons literally gave you one citizens’ assembly three years ago. What is the goal here?”

The Commons and Lords are in recess until Monday.

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