As the world watched the British parliament for movement on Brexit, a group of environmental activists took advantage of the extra eyes to draw attention to another crisis: climate change.
On Tuesday, the half-naked protesters stormed the House of Common's glass-walled public gallery and glued their hands to the glass, with messages of "SOS", "climate justice now" and "fight for life" scrawled upon their bodies.
The BBC has reported local police arrested 12 protesters for outraging public decency.
The dramatic events took place as parliamentarians prepared to vote on the possible next steps for Brexit, which has been stuck in a deadlock - just 10 days before the extended exit deadline.
MPs will vote on four alternative options to Prime Minister Theresa May's failed deal, including a customs union and a referendum.
"I'm tired of the time and resources our government wastes rearranging the deckchairs on the Brexitanic," Iggy Fox, a 24-year-old wildlife biologist and one of the protesters, said in a statement.
But as MPs struggled to avert their eyes, speaker John Bercow continued proceedings.
"It has long been a thoroughly British trait to be able to ignore pointless nakedness," Conservative MP Nick Boles said during the debate.
The protest was organised by Extinction Rebellion, an environmental action collective that demands politicians take more action on climate change.
"We are willing to make personal sacrifices. We are prepared to be arrested and to go to prison. We will lead by example, to inspire similar actions around the world," their website reads.
Share
