New ‘Banksy’ graffiti supporting eco-warrior activists pops up at Marble Arch as 10-day protests finally end
The stencilled drawing depicts a child crouched on the ground by a plant shoot sprouting up from the earth
A NEW “Banksy” mural has cropped up at Marble Arch in support of Extinction Rebellion as ten days of protests finally came to an end – for now.
The striking graffiti of a small child clutching a sign with the group’s logo emerged on a wall in Central London after the group’s current planned action came to a close.
In the stencilled drawing, composed in typical Banksy style, a plant shoot sprouts up from the earth by a spade as a child crouches on the ground.
The Bristolian artist’s distinctive work crops up across the country when least expected, often sparking debate on whether Banksy is the actual author.
‘TACTICS BEGIN’
Next to the stark drawing is written in shaky white capital letters: “From this moment despair ends and tactics begin.”
Activist Steve Jones, 53, from West London, said: “I was right under the nose of it all, but I didn’t see a single thing.
“I returned from an Extinction Rebellion [ER] meeting and it was there, it just appeared.
“It shows a message of hope and desire for the future against the tyranny we are held under.”
Skeena Rathor, vision co-ordinator for the activists also known as XR, told the crowd in Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday that they would “pause” in their actions.
However in Newcastle, climate change protesters today staged a slow-cycle roadblock, causing traffic buildup and chaos during rush hour.
MASS DISRUPTION
At least 1,065 arrests were made over the courses of protests – including several activists who glued themselves to trains and roads.
So far at least 69 people have been charged.
The group also blocked routes around Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge, bringing widespread disruption to the capital.
Just three days in, London businesses were said to have lost at least £12million as a result of the chaos, but the overall cost is expected to be much higher.
Hundreds of protesters also staged a “die-in” at London’s Natural History Museum and held a party at Marble Arch.
Last week, Harry Potter star Emma Thompson, 60, defended her decision to fly 5,400 miles to join the protest.
And in their latest major stunt, ER activists glued themselves to the main entrance of the London Stock Exchange yesterday morning.
ER, which describes itself as a non-violent civil disobedience group, has demanded that the Government declares a climate emergency.
It wants politicians to take urgent action on climate change and wildlife declines and for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2025 to “avoid irreversible climate change and ecological collapse”.
A major UN report last October found emissions must be by 2050 at the latest to stop warming beyond 1.5C.
Britain’s current target is to cut emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050 relative to 1990 levels, but has not yet committed to going all the way.
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