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extinction rebellion

Four climate protestors arrested after spraying fake blood on UK Treasury building

The environmental campaign group said 1,800 litres of fake blood was used.

environment-protest Police officers outside the Treasury building in Westminster, where Extinction Rebellion campaigners have sprayed 1,800 litres of fake blood from a fire engine. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

EXTINCTION REBELLION PROTESTORS in London have used a fire engine to spray the Treasury building in Westminster with fake blood. 

The environmental campaign group said it used an out of commission fire engine to spray the front of the building with 1,800 litres of fake blood. 

Four protesters stood on top of the fire engine, which had a banner slung across it with the words “Stop funding climate death”.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that following the protest four people, three men and one woman, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. 

The group said it held the protest to highlight the “inconsistency between the UK Government’s insistence that the UK is a world leader in tackling climate breakdown, while pouring vast sums of money into fossil exploration and carbon-intensive projects”.

PastedImage-32854 Extinction Rebellion / Twitter Extinction Rebellion / Twitter / Twitter

environment-protest PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

environment-protest PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

It said today’s action is a “build-up” to international rebellion week, which kicks off next Monday with more than 60 cities around the world expected to take part. 

The fake blood is made from water coloured with food dye which the group says can be washed off the building.

A malfunction caused them to lose control of the hose at one point, causing it to flail across the road. 

This morning’s protest came to an end after police arrived on the scene shortly after 10.30am. 

Following the incident, a Treasury spokesman said: “The UK is a world leader on climate change – having reduced its emissions by 42% between 1990 and 2017, while growing the economy by more than two-thirds.

In June, we became the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming by 2050. We will continue to build on this proud record.

Additional reporting by PA 

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