CCA Member Rev’d Sue Parfitt was arrested on Friday 11^th December as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest outside an MOD facility. The protest, held at Abbey Wood near Bristol, highlighted the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the military just days after the government announced funding for defence which is double the amount recently committed to a green new deal.

Sue was part of one of three roadblocks on accesses road to the site, where banners stating ‘Invest in Life Not Death’ were erected.

Sue, 77, said: ‘I feel, at my age, this is the best I can do. I’m free to be arrested for this cause.’

Sue was joined by three other members of CCA Bristol, as well as members of XR Peace and XR Bristol.

In a short recorded message, Ben Buse, a fellow member of CCA Bristol, explained why he took part in the action: ‘ I feel a deep horror at the large increase in military spending. This is a time of climate crisis and we need a large investment in the rapid transition to a carbon free world. I’m a Christian who believes in a loving creator who deeply cares for all living things and calls us to love our neighbours, including the earth. We must act now to maintain a temperate rise below 1.5, for justice to those countries which are most vulnerable to climate change and have contributed the least. Increasing military spending feels like positioning ourselves in a degraded world, where war destroys resources and emits massive amounts of carbon dioxide… We need to prevent climate breakdown down rather than fight over scarce resources.’

Sue was charged with Obstruction of the Highway after declining to accept a caution. She will appear in court in 2021.

Sue can be seen at the protest in a video on Bristol Live’s website.