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OVER THIRTY PROTESTORS complaining at rising energy bills have staged a sit-down protest in the Houses of Parliament.
Several dozen demonstrators took part in the protest in the central lobby of the Palace of Westminster, some with a Greenpeace banner reading “Chaos Costs Lives”.
There was no attempt by police to move them on and after reading out a number of statements they left voluntarily.
🚨 BREAKING: Over 30 activists have occupied parliament.
— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) October 24, 2022
While the government is in chaos, almost 7 million people are facing fuel poverty.
We need the next government to deliver a proper windfall tax to insulate homes and keep people warm this winter.#ChaosCostsLives pic.twitter.com/A1kF6AYT9Y
The campaigners from Greenpeace and Fuel Poverty Action entered the Palace of Westminster as tourists and visitors and were occupying the central lobby.
Linking arms, they read testimonies from people struggling with bills.
A parliamentary security officer appeared to make an attempt to prevent the protest from being broadcast during a live Sky News interview.
Bizarre scenes as parliamentary security stop @SkyNews from broadcasting from the lobby as a sit in protest is taking place. pic.twitter.com/6J2wpjHo0G
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) October 24, 2022
Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director, Will McCallum, said: “Rishi Sunak should have realised by now the huge mistake he made by blocking plans for warmer homes and failing to properly tax fossil fuel giants.
“People need permanently lower bills and a safe climate, and that means more renewable energy, more financial support, a nationwide street-by-street insulation programme, and a proper tax on the energy profiteers to pay for it.”
Ruth London, from Fuel Poverty Action, called for support for their “energy for all” proposal, giving each household enough free energy to cover basics such as heating, cooking and lighting, paid for windfall taxes, ending fossil fuel subsidies and higher prices for excess energy use.
The activists are endorsed by Disabled People Against Cuts, they said.
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I saw this on sky news . A member of the police force tried to stop the Sky team from filming . I think this is outrageous. What happened to freedom of speech and the right to protest peacefully. Should this have been hidden from viewers in a so called lobby of democracy?
@Margaret Doyle: sky news needs to log a complaint
Don’t worry folks. The new PM understands poverty. He’s a man of the people don’t you know.
Does not say much about the security of Westminster.
So….
have your say