LONDON – Environmental campaigners were occupying the roof of Britain's parliament Monday in a bid to urge returning lawmakers to overhaul their climate change policies before the UN's key Copenhagen summit.
Source: AFP
- Around 30 Greenpeace activists evaded security Sunday and clambered onto the roof of the famous Palace of Westminster in central London, unfurling several yellow banners reading: "Change the politics, save the climate".
- The demonstrators waited through the night for Monday morning, when lawmakers return from their summer break, to urge them to sign up to a 12-point manifesto.
- "We've got to raise the temperature of the debate because we are really running out of time," said Greenpeace executive director John Sauven.
- "Parliament is opening and there is an election looming so this is a golden opportunity for the political parties to really think about the future."
- Speaking from the roof, Greenpeace employee Brikesh Singh, 29, from Bangalore in southern India, said the protesters had energy bars and warm clothing to get them through the night.
- "This building is considered as the mother of all parliaments and the UK is one of the leading developed countries," the demonstrator said.
- "We want them (lawmakers) to get the message loud and clear that if you want a planet-saving deal in Copenhagen we need to change the climate policy."
- The December 7-18 United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen will see nations attempt to hammer out a new global climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.
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