Two workers of the group Just turn off the oil (JSO) has painted. Charles DarwinHis grave in Westminster Abbey bears the message “1.5 died.” The action, taken on Monday morning, follows the announcement that global temperatures have exceeded the critical 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement. The protest, aimed at drawing attention to the UK government’s urgent need to phase out fossil fuels, has sparked significant controversy.
Two activists from the JSO, identified as Alison Lee, 66, a retired teaching assistant, and De Blagg, 77, a former council CEO, entered the historic abbey at around 10.00am and sprayed Inscribed his message on his grave using chalk. Famous biologist.
JSO said the act was a response to news that global temperatures had exceeded the 1.5 degree Celsius limit for the first time, the group cited alarming data released by Europe’s climate monitor. “2024 was the warmest year on record. We have exceeded the 1.5 degree limit we had to keep,” the group’s press release read.
Both Lee and Bligh were arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of criminal damage. Police confirmed he was taken into custody at the scene and taken to London’s Central Station where he remains in custody. “Police were called following reports that the women had been detained by security,” a police spokesman said. A spokesman for Westminster Abbey assured the public that the damage was temporary, and that the site suffered no lasting damage.
In their statements, the protesters explained the motivations behind their actions. Lee described the situation as urgent. Climate crisisStating, “Ten years after the Paris Agreement, we have already exceeded the so-called safe temperature increase of 1.5 degrees… We need mass civil disobedience now, join us in the streets.” And help us win back Parliament this April.” Bligh added, “We are about to lose everything, and politicians are nowhere near doing enough to stop it. How many burials will we have as a result of climate change and who will be left to mourn them? “
The action is the latest in a series of high-profile and disruptive protests by Just Stop Oil, which have targeted everything from famous works of art to historical monuments. Previous protests have included throwing soup at Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” and spray-painting Stonehenge. JSO’s aggressive tactics have drawn both praise for highlighting the urgency of climate action and criticism for affecting public life and heritage sites.
The latest protests come as Los Angeles grapples with devastating wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, and as the world faces increasingly dire environmental challenges.