Semi-naked climate change protesters interrupted a Commons debate on Brexit tonight as they stripped off in the public galler
Semi-naked climate change protesters interrupt Commons debate on Brexit as they storm public gallery and GLUE themselves to the glass protecting MPs (and Ed Miliband can’t believe his eyes)
Semi-naked climate change protesters interrupted a Commons debate on Brexit tonight as they stripped off in the public gallery.
Several of the ‘Extinction Rebellion’ group glued themselves to the window dividing MPs from the watching public in the biggest Commons security breach since 2014.
Labour MP Peter Kyle joked about the ‘naked truth’ as MPs’ attention was distracted from his speech by the demonstration.
Tory MP James Heappey defied Commons rules to photograph the dozen people, who had slogans including ‘climate justice act now’ and ‘eco collapse’ daubed on their backs. ADVERTISING
Speaker John Bercow told MPs to ignore the demonstration and continue with the debate as they stood in a line with their backsides pressed against the security glass.
Most were wearing only thong-style underwear which left little to the imagination.
Shocked MPs including former Labour leader Ed Miliband glanced up at the group as they stripped off behind the glass screen that separate the chamber from the public gallery.
Some of the protesters were singing Nelly the Elephant while under the gaze of Parliamentarians.
Savannah, an English literature student from Ladbroke Grove in west London, was one of the naked protesters.
She said: ‘A bunch of people glued themselves to the window in the public gallery.
‘Everyone stripped and two people were elephants and had climate crisis written on them.
‘We were pointing at them as the elephants in the room of the Brexit debate.’
Twelve climate change protesters were later arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency, Scotland Yard said.
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Semi-naked climate change protesters interrupted a Commons debate on Brexit tonight as they stripped off in the public gallery
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Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was among the MPs surprised by the sudden appearance of the half-naked protesters above them
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Tory MP James Heappey defied Commons rules to photograph the dozen people, one of whom had ‘climate justice now’ daubed on his back
She added: ‘Personally I don’t care that much about Brexit.
‘I think it’s fine that people do but I think there are bigger things right now.
The semi-naked demonstration is the most significant breach of security in the public gallery since a man hurled a bag of marbles at the glass screen in October 2014.
The barrier was erected to separate MPs from the public after Tony Blair was pelted with purple powder during PMQs in 2004.
Police officers removed today’s demonstration, which failed to halt debate on the floor of the Commons, after around 30 minutes, using an unidentified liquid to free their hands.
Several of them refused to walk out with police and had to be carried out from the gallery as Commons doorkeepers picked up their abandoned clothes.
All other members of the public who turned out to watch the debate were also asked to leave.
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The protesters were questioned by police officers stationed in the House of Parliament outside the Common chamber.
In order to get into the public gallery, members of the public are subjected to airport style security at the entrances to the Palace of Westminster.
They then simply queue up to enter the gallery itself on a first-come, first-served basis.
Extinction Rebellion promises ‘non-violent direct action and civil disobedience’ to make their point on climate change.
Tory Nick Boles used the demonstration to make a joke at the expense of some of his colleagues.
The Grantham MP, who rose to speak in support of his Common Market 2.0 Brexit plan which will be put to a vote in the Commons tonight, said: ‘I find myself wondering whether it’s a coincidence entirely that the people who normally sit around me on these benches are not here, given that we all know that among them are counted noted naturists.’