In a shocking incident at Westminster Abbey, two elderly environmental activists have been implicated in the defacement of the grave of renowned scientist Charles Darwin.
The alleged culprits, Alyson Lee, 66, and Di Bligh, 77, are members of the radical environmentalist group Just Stop Oil (JSO). The duo reportedly spray-painted the phrase "1.5 is dead" on Darwin's grave around 10 a.m. on Monday. This cryptic message is a reference to the global temperature increase limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius set by world leaders in the 2015 Paris climate accords.
According to The Blaze, the activists' actions were driven by their belief that the world has already surpassed the "safe" temperature rise of 1.5 degrees, a decade after the Paris Agreement. "We have already exceeded the so-called safe temperature rise of 1.5 degrees and are heading for over 3 degrees of warming," said Lee, a retired teaching assistant. She warned of a rapidly accelerating crisis that could render vast parts of the world uninhabitable, leading to millions of refugees, social collapse, and the extinction of countless species.
Lee further emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "Without real action, words are useless; you cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. We need mass civil disobedience now. Join us on the streets and help us reclaim Parliament this April."
Bligh, a former chief executive of Reading Council, justified their choice of Darwin's grave for their protest. "Weve done this because theres no hope for the world, really," she said. Bligh believes that Darwin, the famed English naturalist and biologist who passed away in 1882, would be disturbed by the ongoing sixth mass extinction.
In 2024, global temperatures did indeed temporarily exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark, as reported by CNN. The JSO attributes recent natural disasters, such as the Los Angeles fires, to this temperature spike.
The Metropolitan Police swiftly apprehended Lee and Bligh, arresting them on suspicion of causing criminal damage at Westminster Abbey with what is believed to be powdered paint.
Westminster Abbey, a prominent Christian church in London, has been a significant site of English political pageantry for nearly a millennium. It has witnessed the coronation of at least 40 British monarchs, including King Charles III, and is the final resting place of many of Britain's most illustrious figures. These include Darwin, literary giants Geoffrey Chaucer and Charles Dickens, and royal figures like Henry V, Elizabeth I, and Mary, Queen of Scots.
An Abbey spokesperson confirmed that the activists used orange spray-chalk in the incident. "The abbeys conservators are taking immediate action to clean the memorial and do not anticipate that there will be any permanent damage," they said. Despite the incident, the Abbey remains open for visitors and worshippers.
Since its inception in 2022, JSO has gained notoriety for its disruptive tactics, which include blocking traffic on busy routes and vandalizing cherished landmarks. In June of last year, JSO members allegedly defaced Stonehenge's giant rock formations with spray paint. In September, two activists from the group were sentenced to prison for splattering tomato soup on artwork by Vincent van Gogh.
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