Climate change protestors disrupt parliament
By Alex Stevenson
Four climate change protestors have glued themselves to a statue in the Palace of Westminster.
The three women and one man were thought to be demonstrating against climate change secretary Ed Miliband’s decision last week to allow the construction of new coal-fired power stations.
They stuck themselves to the statue of Viscount Falkland first used by Suffragettes as they campaigned for votes for women.
A Palace official told politics.co.uk there was not thought to be any political significance in the choice of Viscount Falkland – beyond its previous use. The protestors wore red sashes, imitating the Suffragettes.
“It’s quite nice to see parliament being used as a place for protest,” the unnamed official said. Access to the press gallery was not disrupted.
Police shut St Stephen’s Hall, on the site of the old Commons chamber before the Palace was destroyed by fire in the 19th century, as they sought to detach the protestors from the statue.
St Stephen’s Hall is one of the most public areas of parliament, being adjacent to the central lobby where members of the public come to lobby their MPs. Airport-style security checks are nevertheless required to access the area, however.
Mr Miliband told the Commons last week he would only allow the construction of new coal-fired power stations if they were ready to adapt to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology by 2025.
