Climate activists took their message to a historic landmark on Monday, Jan. 13, vandalizing the grave of famed British naturalist Charles Darwin. Just Stop Oil protested at Westminster Abbey to demand urgent government action on climate change.
Two members of the group Just Stop Oil used chalk paint to write the words “1.5 is dead” on part of Darwin’s white gravestone, turning it orange. The protesters said the action was a direct response to the U.K. government’s failure to address the climate crisis.
“We’ve done it on Darwin’s grave specifically because he would be turning in that grave because of the sixth mass extinction taking place now,” one of the activists said as they were being led away by police.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The group is calling on world leaders to honor their climate commitments, particularly the 2015 Paris Agreement. World leaders agreed to keep the world’s temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to push for limiting it to 1.5 degrees.
According to a recent report from European scientists, 2024 has been the hottest year on record, surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, which monitors global temperatures, says human activity is one of the drivers behind the rising temperatures.
“We’ve already passed through the 1.5 degrees that was supposed to keep us safe,” the activist said during the protest. “Millions are being displaced. California is on fire, and three-quarters of wildlife has disappeared since the 1970s.”
The protest comes amid a wave of similar actions across the U.K. by Just Stop Oil activists. The group has previously staged high-profile demonstrations, including throwing soup on famous artworks and vandalizing historical monuments with orange paint.
The group’s message is clear, they want world leaders to take decisive action by phasing out the extraction of fossil fuels by 2030.
Westminster Abbey officials confirmed the damage to Darwin’s grave is not permanent. A spokesperson said a restoration team is working to clean the memorial.
Authorities with the London Police arrested the two activists who carried out the protest.
