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We got here so easily, says mother in rooftop climate change protest
Kiran Randhawa and Peter Dominiczak12.10.09
Eco-activists today revealed how easily they breached House of Commons security, as the ringleader was unveiled as a 40-year-old mother of three.
Emma Gibson, who has a six-year-old daughter and twin two-year-old boys, is a career activist who takes her children on climate change protests.
She leaped into the river Medway in front of a 70,000-tonne coal freighter in June, to stop it reaching Kingsnorth Power Station. She has chained herself to a Land Rover on a factory conveyor belt in Solihull, and was on Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior as it tried to block a ship full of tanks leaving for Iraq.
Speaking from the roof of Parliament, the 40-year-old from Whitstable, Kent, said: “It was very easy to get up here, there were no police in sight until we had all climbed up in position. We trained really well to make sure we got up here very quickly. We didn't realise it would be quite as easy as it was.”
Previously the Liverpool University graduate has told how her family worries about the stunts, but she is too concerned about climate change to stop.
She is one of up to 30 Greenpeace activists spending a second day on the roof — as MPs return from their summer break — to highlight Government “weakness” on climate change. They have vowed to stay for another two days.
This afternoon they were joined by a “flash mob” of more than 100 people from the UK Youth Climate Coalition. They descended on Parliament Square wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the words Power Shift, and conducted a three-minute dance routine.
The rooftop campaigners, meanwhile, were handing out a 12-point manifesto calling for zero carbon emissions by 2030. They unfurled more than 15 yellow banners reading “Change the politics, save the climate” and were preparing to put another, eight metres long, across the Grand Hall roof.
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: “We've got to raise the temperature of the debate because we are running out of time. We are at a minute to midnight and there is so little time left but so much to do.” Last night 23 protesters climbed down using a ladder and safety harnesses and were arrested, but about 30 remained. Campaigners said they had thermal clothing, food, water and sleeping bags.
Activist, Anna Jones, 28, speaking about the lack of security, said: “It was very simple, we just came over the wall. We brought ladders.”
The protest came as the Committee on Climate Change warned Britain would not slash its CO2 output unless ministers abandoned years of free-market policies and forced companies to invest in green technology. The committee advises ministers on cutting emissions to 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
World leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to try to agree a new deal to curb the effects of climate change.
Reader views (23)
Hooray for "Lewis, Brighton"! I'd like to be part of the future you describe. Thank you for setting it out so clearly.
Blimey, these other comments are very negative.
- Kath, London, Kath, London
Jon, london - try looking at what you wrote and extrapolate.
The police standing around holding guns looking tough are there for a specific reason - which doesn't include being drawn away from their primary station by these eco/egovists unless they represent a direct threat to their primary responsibility.
That nonsense about being there to PREVENT crime - where did you get that rather quaint idea? The only way they can PREVENT all crime is to be EVERYWHERE - ah, but then you'd be complaining about the excessive police presence, wouldn't you! The police DISCOURAGE crime by making sure it is seen as not being worth while for the ne'er do wells (ok, so they need a decent clean up rate, but that's another issue).
There's way too many thinking with their gut rather than their brains, it seems at times. It might help if people remembered that the police are human too, not perfect automatons. There's only so much they can do, same as anyone else - they're just better trained at police work than their detractors.
- Rogan, Irving
Lewis - UKYCC - How old will you be in 2050?
I was part of the dance in parliament square today and I want you all to know that I am not a 'climate loon'. Neither were the 100 people I was with.
I'm an ordinary bloke concerned about the economy, about jobs, about people. I've flown on planes. I have a TV. I like going to the pub. I work in an office and wear a suit. I didn't join the dance today to force people to cycle or to save polar bears. I joined the dance today to show that more and more people believe we can have a brighter, more prosperous future. A future that rebuilds the economy in a sustainable, fair and clean way. A future where we don't rely on Saudi oil. A future where I get PAID by electricity companies for generating my own electricity and adding it to the grid. A future where my car runs on hydrogen. A future where we won't have to fight for water. Even if you don't 'believe' in climate change, you can't argue that a sustainble economy built on renewable energy supply is worse than a boom and bust economy reliant on Russian gas.
If you want to be cynical about people trying to build a better, brighter future and making the world aware that we have that chance now, and that the time to act is now, and to tell polititians that they need to act now, that's your choice. You choose to stay in your bubble while the world is changing. You're going to feel lonely because you'll be choosing the losing side. The rest of us are going to build the future we want.
- Lewis, Brighton UK
Well done Greenpeace. Keep up the good work.
With your bravery maybe soon the muppets leaving messages on this forum might start to listen to the policy and the science behind your actions before leaving stupid comments. Maybe it's an age thing?
- Lucy Lyall, London
I wonder if they did "get in so easily"? Or whether a highly-trained member of the security forces had them in his gunsight, and someone more senior took the (right) decision not to open fire?
- Nigel, London
So Ms GIBSON is a "career activist"...how does she afford the upkeep of her many children? Oh most probably the handouts from the government she is wittering on about!!! Get a job and maybe your children might respect you and tahnkful they don't have to go to climate camps and live in and eat rubbish!
- Jh, LONDON
Maybe if we had our traditional right of protest in front of our elected representatives back, then people wouldn't feel the need to climb on roofs.
Protests in Parliament Square should not be illegal. I would be happy for the forthcoming change of government were it not for the fact that the other bunch don't want to hear from real people either.
These are not 'climate change loonies'. They simply believe passionately in not screwing up the world for future generations.
- D Bowskill, London
These people are going to look very, very silly in a few years time.
Global warming (as it was originally called, now it's Climate Change as the planet is cooling) will be the ultimate, and most expensive of the various scares that have turned out to be rubbish.
AIDS was going to destroy civilisation. Bird Flu was going to kills millions. The Millennium Bug was going to see planes fall from the sky and chaos everywhere.
Global Warming is simply the latest, and largest following those.
By the way, it would be nice if the planet was warming. It's far better for mankind than cooling.
Climate is so complex, with so many factors, that it's impossible to model and predict. There just isn't enough knowledge or computing power to do so.
- Tom, London
I get sick of these greenies, they reduce their support with these and other types of publicity (plane stupid). Most of the public like flying and warm weather and find thesepeople annoying self publicists.
- Ashgl, London
Haven't those Greenpeace muppets got a job to go to - or, are they part and parcel of the other 4,000,000 unemployed in the UK?
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
Career activist eh? I wonder how much the State pays out to her in Benefits so that she can indulge her little hobby?
- Carl, London
Protest is illegal. Anything but total obedience to the state will not be tolerated. Dissidents will be compulsorily chipped, vaccinated and surveilled.
- Neil, London, London UK
Like many people I am sick to the back teeth of these organisations (Greenpeace and their ilk) going outside of the due political process, breaking the law and generally being a nuisance in order to force their message upon the rest of us.
It is not their “right” to behave in this way. It is not their “right” to assume they are to be excused the breaking of the law, or that it is somehow justifiable given their message of climate change.
Whilst I agree wholeheartedly that we as a society should be more caring with what we do concerning the environment we live in. I take extreme displeasure in such actions, which I see as nothing more than another attack on our democratic process.
My advice to them would be this. Join politics! If yours is a message that we need/want to hear, if you are able to couple your agenda with the general concerns of the public and address them politically, then let the ballots do the talking.
Until you are ready to do this, keep you disruptive, petulant and nauseating dramatics to yourselves and allow the rest of us to get on with our lives in peace.
- Phillip De Burgh, London
These criminals could include terrorists in their number.
If this outrage took place in Paris, Washington, Delhi, or any
country with a pride in its very political existence, then these
persons would be brought down through a combination
of tear gas & high pressure hoses.
One of their number flew in from South East Asia to protest.
Presumably the use of air travel will be justified by the demand
for asylum, which will surely follow his descent.
- British Not Racist, Bracknell England
Leave them up there. They will provide excellent insulation and stop all that hot air escaping from the House of Commons.
- Julian, London
What is wrong with the police in London? They seem to be very good at turning up after any incident and viewing CCTV and allowing UNLAWFUL protests. Somebody should remind these goons that they are there to PREVENT crime. This is supposed to be a highly secure environment. Makes the Pakistani army look positively competent, at least they shot a few of them. Same old joke, cops with guns standing around "looking" tough. Why not just soak these idiots with a hose in the evening? I assume they wouldn't stay too long.
- Jon, london
Leave them up there they will soon come down, and when they do arrest all of them, and throw them in jail.
After billing them for all the police needed.
- P Staker, Londonistan.
Absolutely James - I presume Greenpeace will foot the restoration bill?
- Roz, France
Yawn.
Get a life greenies.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
Great security.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Even the loudest most biased AGW/MMGW news organisation on the planet - the BBC, have recently had to acknowledge the incovenient FACTS that AGW simply isn't happening and we are now cooler than in 1998. Kicking and screaming the Climate change loonies are being dragged into reality.
I wonder what bandwagon they will seize upon next. Oh sorry I seem to recall that 'the debate is over' 'the science is clear' yep sure is. You were wrong and the 'swivel eyed loonies' the 'evil Bush climate dniers' well it seems we were right all along.z
Here's a link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8299079.stm
- Ethan, UK
It's good to see that the British Government is well protected against attack; the attackers are only on the roof, and not inside the Houses of Parliament with the other terrorists.
Don't these people know it is against the law to demonstrate around Parliament Square?
With all the new laws New Labour has made in their term in office; they still can't enforce any of them.
Lets hope the Green Protesters can get their Big-Mac's ok, like the Tamil hunger strikers did; after all, fair is fair, equality for all protesters etc.
- Mickinlondon, london
Please do prosecute this organisation and the individuals for the damage caused to a grade 1 listed building.
Greenpeace are damaging our environment, we must stop them now !
- James, City of London
