Extinction Rebellion activists throw paint over Cambridge Labour Party’s HQ
Extinction Rebellion Cambridge said it is responsible for the incident on Saturday night. - Credit: Extinction Rebellion Cambridge
Extinction Rebellion activists threw paint over the Cambridge Labour Party’s headquarters in response to a city council vote related to the climate emergency.
The group said their protest was in response to the Labour group amending a motion which meant it withdrew support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.
Cambridge Labour Party has since condemned the group’s actions on Alex Wood Hall, stating it is “committed to open, constructive dialogue” and to tackling the climate emergency.
Cllr Lewis Herbert, the Labour Leader of Cambridge City Council, said: “We’re really disappointed to see this act of vandalism, especially when we have a record of action on reducing carbon emissions in Cambridge.
“As a party we remain committed to open, constructive dialogue and working together to find the best way to tackle the climate emergency.”
Extinction Rebellion Cambridge said it is responsible for the incident on Saturday night. - Credit: Extinction Rebellion Cambridge
He added: “Alex Wood Hall is not only used by the Cambridge Labour Party but also a local charity supporting vulnerable individuals – our first thought has been to make sure that the building is usable and secure for them.
“We’d also like to thank our neighbours for their words of support, including those whose own cars were needlessly damaged.
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“From the messages we’ve received it’s clear that Extinction Rebellion don’t represent the majority of Cambridge residents – or the many committed and excellent climate activists we have here in the city.”
Cambridge Labour Party have since condemned the actions of the Extinction Rebellion activists on Alex Wood Hall. - Credit: Extinction Rebellion Cambridge / Facebook
Extinction Rebellion Cambridge and Extinction Rebellion Youth Activists said their representatives were responsible for the incident, which happened on Saturday [May 29].
In a post on Facebook, the activists said: “This was our response to the Cambridge City Council Labour group's wrecking amendment to a motion in support of the Climate & Ecological Emergency Bill.
“Labour's amendment watered down the motion, withdrawing support for the [bill], instead expressing support for the Tories' disastrous Environment Bill.”
It added: “In 2019, the Labour-led City Council declared climate and biodiversity emergencies. We now know that was greenwash and political opportunism.”
Defending the council’s actions to tackle climate change, Cllr Herbert explained 100pc of its energy is from renewable sources and carbon emissions have been reduced by almost 30pc.
Lewis Herbert, Labour's Leader of Cambridge City Council, says the party is committed to tackling the climate emergency. - Credit: Cambridge City Council
He added: “There’s lots more to do of course, and that’s what we’ll be focusing on now – the job we were elected to do, which is looking after the city of Cambridge.”
The incident has been reported to police.
