WATCH I Protesters cover UK PM Rishi Sunak's mansion with black sheets over fossil fuel licenses, arrested
Rishi Sunak
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's mansion was covered with black fabric by activists from Greenpeace on Thursday (August 3) protesting against fossil fuel licenses.
The activists climbed onto the roof of Sunak's mansion in Yorkshire, calling it a protest for his support of a "major expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling", they were later arrested.
Earlier this week, Sunak gave a go-ahead to hundreds of new oil and gas licences in the North Sea — a decision that has angered the environmentalists.
Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Philip Evans said, "We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist."
"Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling," Evans added.
Greenpeace posted a video of the incident on its social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. In the video, activists were seen climbing on the roof of Sunak's mansion in Richmond, northern England. They covered it with black sheets.
While on the front lawn, two more activists unfurled a banner reading "Rishi Sunak - Oil Profits or Our Future?".
Evans said, "He seems quite happy to hold a blowtorch to the planet if he can score a few political points by sowing division around climate in this country. This is cynical beyond belief."
So far, the prime minister's office did not release any statement, and Sunak said on Wednesday (August 2) that he was going on holiday that evening. He and his family are currently in California.
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North Sea oil and gas drilling
The protests came after the UK government chalked out plans to expand drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
On Monday, Sunak said that he hoped the plans would provide the nation with domestically-sourced energy, meanwhile, it transitions to a net zero economy by 2050.
In a statement, Sunak said, "Even when we’ve reached net zero in 2050, a quarter of our energy needs will come from oil and gas. But there are those who would rather that it come from hostile states than from supplies we have here at home."
(With inputs from agencies)
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