A model house was seen bobbing up and down in the River Thames – before sinking, in the latest stunt by Extinction Rebellion.
Earlier this week, the ban issued by the Met Police, to halt the eco-protestors in the capital throughout October, was ruled unlawful.
Passer-by’s saw the “classic suburban home” – bedecked with drainpipes, an aerial and a cowl-topped chimney – slowly submerge into the water near to Tower Bridge.
In a statement, XR claimed the protest was to draw attention to rising sea-levels and urge those standing in the general election to address the climate emergency.
1/ River Thames #London. A classic suburban house was seen floating down the river, sinking into the water in yet another attempt to send an SOS to the government on climate inaction and draw attention to the threat humans face from climate change and rising sea levels. pic.twitter.com/cMaOWhNMMe
— Extinction Rebellion Families (@XRFamilies) November 10, 2019
The event took place as areas in northern and central regions of England face severe flooding brought on by constant heavy rain, which has seen a month’s worth of rainfall dropping in a day.
As a result, hundreds of homes were evacuated, and one fatality has been reported.
Commenting on the disaster, XR stated: “Unless action is taken to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero these tragedies are set to worsen.”
They followed it up with haunting words for Londoners:
“Under new sea level rise projections, Stratford, Barking and Dagenham and large swathes of South and West London, East Anglia, Essex and Kent will be underwater by 2050. Despite our government’s denial, this is a national disaster eeking ever closer to the capital.”
Words: Dan Branston