By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least five persons have been arrested after activists from pro-environmental group, Greenpeace climbed on the roof of the UK Prime Minister’s home where they covered it in oil-black fabric.
Rishi Sunak was said to have been away from home when the activists arrived with ladders to climb the roof of the manor house located in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, before the 200sq/m piece of fabric was unveiled.
A fifth activist, who did not scale the roof, was later arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance in connection with the protest.
Mr Sunak is on holiday in California during the incident on Thursday.
The four protesters spent more than three hours on top of the building as police said they were “managing the situation”.
They began their descent at around 12.30pm and were waiting for each other on the roof of an extension on the property.
The activists were seen being led away from the house by police officers immediately they touched down.
While the four protesters were on the roof, two Greenpeace activists unfolded a banner with the inscription”Rishi Sunak – Oil Profits or Our Future?” across the grass in front of the property.
Greenpeace was acting in protest against the prime minister’s “backing for a major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling” – where it will grant 100 new licences off the coast of Scotland.
“We make no apology for taking the right approach to ensure our energy security, using the resources we have here at home so we are never reliant on aggressors like (Vladimir) Putin for our energy. We are also investing in renewables and our approach supports thousands of British jobs,” a source close to the Prime Minister said.
Alex Wilson, one of the roof-scaling activists, released a video message from the top of Mr Sunak’s house.
She said: “We’re all here because Rishi Sunak has opened the door to a new drilling frenzy in the North Sea while large parts of our world are literally on fire. This will be a disaster for the climate.”
Greenpeace campaigner Philip Evans said the group had made sure the PM’s family were on holiday and not going to be at home before carrying out the protest.
He said the group had knocked on the door when they arrived and said “this is a peaceful protest” but there was no answer.
Mr Evans added: “Rishi Sunak’s government has been the worst government we’ve had on climate.”
They are kicking against increasing oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
