Australia’s Parliament House Gets Vandalized In The Name Of Saving The Earth
Photo 11399239 © Dan Breckwoldt | Dreamstime.com
Australia’s Parliament House and its prime minister’s residence in Canberra were vandalized on Tuesday morning, leaving messages behind accusing the government of not taking sufficient action to protect the country from the impending climate crisis.
“Duty of Care” was the message spray-painted across the entrance of the Parliament House alongside the logo of the protest group Extinction Rebellion. It’s the name of the group’s latest campaign to bring awareness to the Earth’s predicament. Some protestors had also glued themselves to the forecourt of the House, and a pram was set ablaze.
The Duty of Care campaign carried out by the protest group aims to “remind the government of its duty to take action on global warming.” The aim of the campaign is synonymous with the aim of the group, whose core strategy is “mass disruption of city centers through nonviolent civil disobedience.”
This comes after a report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which stated that the world had warmed by 1.1ºC (33.4ºF), and that Australia, in particular, could expect increased fires, droughts, and cyclones as a result.
The US, China, and the EU have all pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. However, Australia has yet to make a similar move, in spite of its relatively small population, CNN reports. This may be due to the country’s highly valuable resources, coal and iron ore, crucial for trade. The news outlet adds that the nation also still relies heavily on carbon emissions in order to generate power.
In a statement made by the police, five were arrested at Parliament House and three at The Lodge, the prime minister’s residence. All have been taken to the ACT Watch House, and the vandalism has been covered.
#BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion protesters have been arrested in Canberra after spray-painting Parliament House and setting a pram on fire.
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 10, 2021
It comes after the release of a damning global report on climate change.
MORE: https://t.co/xTsv8nBhL2#9News pic.twitter.com/2WJQqOcb3K
Image via Extinction Rebellion
[via CNN, images via various sources]
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