Eco-warriors throw white paint over gates under Big Ben in protest against milk
Protesters have doused London streets with white paint which is said to symbolise ‘fake milk’.
Others have glued themselves to the road near Big Ben as they demand action from the UK Government.
Two eco-warriors even armed themselves with modified fire extinguishers to spray the white paint on gates near Parliament Square.
Several protesters have been arrested, Animal Rebellion have said.
The Met Police confirmed later that ten people had been arrested.
In a statement, the force said: ‘At approximately 10.50am, protesters threw white liquid over the gates and walls of Palace of Westminster, Bridge Street.
‘Six people carried out sit down protest on the carriageway. Officers promptly on scene. 10 individuals arrested for criminal damage.
‘Traffic has resumed to normal.’
Andrew Howard, 63, a retired firefighter from Sheffield, at Westminster said: ‘Today’s action is a direct challenge to Prime Minister Liz Truss.
‘We are calling on her to make the drastic changes that we know need to happen in order to combat the cost-of-living, climate, and ecological crises we are facing.
‘Supporting farmers into a plant-based future, whilst rewilding the land this would free up, is a total no-brainer.
‘A plant-based future means cheaper food, more nature, and massive amounts of carbon drawn down from the atmosphere. It’s a win for everyone’.
Posting on Twitter, Animal Rebellion wrote: ‘The road has been blocked just in front of Big Ben. The landmark also just got a new coat of white paint to represent the destruction and cruelty of the dairy industry.
‘This follows four days of disruptive action as part of the Plant-Based Future campaign.’
Animal Rebellion has called on Ms Truss to ‘directly acknowledge’ Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future.
Campaigners are also calling on the new DEFRA minister, Ranil Jayawardena, to consider their demands.
Earlier this month, protesters targeted four dairy production sites across England today aiming to ‘shut down’ distribution of milk products for weeks.
Demonstrators spread a banner across a road to try and stop distribution of products, and were also pictured climbing up onto milk silos and trucks.
Animal Rebellion, who are a sister group of environmental activists Extinction Rebellion, had claimed to have ‘shut down’ production at four sites.
But Arla said their production was running as normal.
Activists from Animal Rebellion have also staged sit-down protests in dairy aisles of high-end supermarkets across the country.
The group has vowed to heavily disrupt the supply of dairy ‘day after day’ during September.
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