Greenpeace on Parliament roof

BRITAIN: Environmental campaigners were occupying the roof of Britain’s Parliament Monday in a bid to urge returning lawmakers to overhaul their climate change policies before the UN’s key Copenhagen summit.

Around 30 Greenpeace activists evaded security Sunday and clambered onto the roof of the famous Palace of Westminster in central London, unfurling several yellow banners reading: “Change the politics, save the climate”.

The demonstrators waited through the night for Monday morning, when lawmakers return from their summer break, to urge them to sign up to a 12-point manifesto.

“We’ve got to raise the temperature of the debate because we are really running out of time,” said Greenpeace executive director John Sauven.

“Parliament is opening and there is an election looming so this is a golden opportunity for the political parties to really think about the future.”

Speaking from the roof, Greenpeace employee Brikesh Singh, 29, from Bangalore in southern India, said the protesters had energy bars and warm clothing to get them through the night.

“This building is considered as the mother of all parliaments and the UK is one of the leading developed countries,” the demonstrator said.

“We want them (lawmakers) to get the message loud and clear that if you want a planet-saving deal in Copenhagen we need to change the climate policy.”

The December 7-18 United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen will see nations attempt to hammer out a new global climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.

London, Monday, AFP