Protest at UK PM's private home over oil drilling policy, 5 held

London: Five climate activists were arrested after draping a black cloth over UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s private home in North Yorkshire to protest against the oil drilling policy.

On Thursday, the demonstrators from Greenpeace Environmental managed to climb onto the house located near Sunak's constituency of Richmond. They used ladders and climbing ropes to access the roof, where they unraveled 200 square meters of “oil-black fabric” to cover part of the mansion.

Members of the group also held a banner across the lawn which read, “Rishi Sunak - Oil Profits or Our Future?”

Taking to Twitter, the group wrote, "NEWS FLASH: The science is clear, for a safe climate there must be NO NEW oil and gas projects... Rishi Sunak you can’t be serious about approving more oil and gas?"

The protest was in response to the UK government’s plans, unveiled on Monday to issue hundreds of licenses to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea. Sunak said that he hoped the project would provide the UK with domestically-sourced energy while it transitions to a net zero economy by 2050. He also announced plans to build two new carbon capture and storage sites, to be completed by 2030.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said officers had "contained the area" of protest and no one had entered the building. A large cordon was put in place and specialist police liaison officers were used to bring the protesters down from the roof of the property.

In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Elliot Foskett said, "There was no threat to the wider public throughout this incident which has now been brought to a safe conclusion."

Of the five people, two men and two women were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and public nuisance, while the remaining person was arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. North Yorkshire Police said all those arrested remained in police custody.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed neither Sunak nor his family were present at the time of the incident.

Condemning the incident, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said he thought the British people were "sick of these stupid stunts" and Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called it "disgraceful".

With inputs from IANS