Protesters disrupt Brexit debate by baring bottoms over inaction on climate change

ABC
Apr 02, 2019, updated Oct 01, 2020

The naked truth': Extinction Rebellion members bared all in order to focus MPs on the threat of climate change. Photo: Twitter/James Heappey MP

While some view the British parliament as a symbol of political stasis since the 2016 Brexit referendum, other Brits have utilised Westminster’s symbolic power to press – literally and figuratively – for faster action on climate change.

On Monday, members of climate change action group Extinction Rebellion stripped half-naked in the House of Common’s glass-walled public gallery during a Brexit debate, and some appeared to have glued themselves to the glass.

I see we’ve reached the naked people in parliament stage of Brexit

— Patrick Smith (@psmith) April 1, 2019

As MPs started yet another day of lengthy debate on how or even whether the country should leave the European Union, 14 protesters stripped to their underpants to show slogans painted on their backs, including: “Climate justice now”.

"It has long been a thoroughly British trait to be able to ignore pointless nakedness" – Conservative MP Nick Boles references naked protesters in the Commons during #Brexit debate

Live updates: https://t.co/GQkj0bPxqF pic.twitter.com/L33eV1ioAd

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) April 1, 2019

Members of the Metropolitan Police questioned the protesters after their action.

Several MPs could not stop themselves from looking up towards the public gallery, some giggling as Labour MP Peter Kyle tried to defend his bid to force the government to stage a confirmatory vote on its Brexit deal by pointing out what he called the “naked truth”.

There’s a naked protest in the House of Commons and MPs just can’t look awayhttps://t.co/61uUU6n5Ax pic.twitter.com/qQfzpO2kXm

— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics) April 1, 2019

Nuala Lam, an Extinction Rebellion member who was present during the protest but didn’t directly participate, told British radio station talkRADIO that MPs stifled laughter as police cleared out the public gallery.

“I think they [the protesters] handled it very calmly,” Ms Lam said.

She confirmed that more acts of civil disobedience would occur in the lead up to the group’s ‘International Rebellion’ on climate change inaction slated for April 15.

In the moments afterward, numerous people took to Twitter to poke fun at a parliament that has otherwise been considered stale and mired in a prolonged Brexit debate.

This week, British House of Commons MPs will attempt another vote on Brexit options.

https://twitter.com/tompeck/status/1112760492525785089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2019-04-02%2Fbritish-protesters-bare-bottoms-in-parliament-to-protest-climate%2F10961468

They had some cheek that lot. And we saw ‘em all

— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) April 1, 2019

Meanwhile earlier it all went tits up in the public gallery of the #HOC as naked climate change protestors showed some bare faced cheek. Some seem to pretend to be super glued to the glass by their hands – thankfully – until a police officer pulled them off. pic.twitter.com/dWE6VJoqML

— Caroline Flint (@CarolineFlint) April 1, 2019

-with Reuters

Topics: Brexit, Climate Change