Tuesday 24th August 2021

For immediate release

Photos available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12G0OfBO3vsmhu2p7enKYOE7fLtB8GHzO?usp=sharing / Interviews available / Short video interviews on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CClimateAction

Contact: 07954 377569 /christianclimateaction@gmail.com

A retired member of the clergy is amongst three Christians who have been arrested this morning after spending almost 24 hours locked on to a pink table at the centre of a climate change protest in central London.

Rev Tim Hewes, Kate Chesterman and Ruth Jarman, locked their arms to the giant table at around noon yesterday alongside several other Extinction Rebellion protestors. The protest group is currently staging protests in the capital to demand that the government ensure we stop burning fossil fuels and that the climate emergency seriously.

In an interview given during the protest, Rev Tim Hewes, 71, a retired Church of England priest from Wantage, said:

‘I’m here to draw attention to the government’s lack of action on climate change. We’re here to get them to really make a difference, change what they’re doing and do what they say they will.’

Kate Chesterman, 55, a University Administrator, was interviewed for the BBC yesterday:

“I don’t believe the government is taking the climate emergency seriously enough. We’ve just had the IPCC report that says we’re basically screwed. They’re not taking action anywhere fast enough. It may be too late already. I want them to get on board with policy changes that might begin to get us out of the climate crisis.”

Ruth Jarman, a mother of three, also spoke during an interview during the protest. She said:

‘I’m here because the world is in crisis, the world is burning and we all know that climate change is turning into climate meltdown and yet no one’s doing anything about it. The government is ignoring it. So we’re here to ask people to come and join us and demand action now.’

At the time of writing all three were in police custody.

ENDS

Contact: 07954 377569 / christianclimateaction@gmail.com

Notes for Editors:

1.     Christian Climate Action is a community of Christians supporting each other to take meaningful action in the face of imminent and catastrophic anthropogenic climate breakdown. We are inspired by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. Following the example of social justice movements of the past, we carry out acts of public witness, non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to urge those in power to make the changes needed. Since November 2018 we have worked closely with Extinction Rebellion and have become known as the Christians in XR. www.christianclimateaction.org.

2. BBC article with quote from Kate Chesterman: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58306278?fbclid=IwAR3oyWn82j5-C6MNkwfeH12df9Faa7T3rVqyy9YjPF4b9vhSuOLX05iVhWE4
3. Photos of the action available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12G0OfBO3vsmhu2p7enKYOE7fLtB8GHzO?usp=sharing (credit to Christian Climate Action)