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Environment protesters glue themselves to UK PM's campaign bus

by Reuters
Tuesday, 10 December 2019 17:49 GMT

Extinction Rebellion climate change activists are seen glued to the front of one of Conservative Party's campaign buses, which leaves a JCB factory after Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with workers in Uttoxeter, Britain, December 10, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

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UTTOXETER, England, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Three environmental campaigners glued themselves to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's campaign bus on Tuesday after he held an election event at a factory in central England, two days before voters go to the polls.

Extinction Rebellion UK - which disrupted public transport in London in October - said eight protesters, five dressed as bees, blocked the Conservative bus to call for faster progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

"We're here because every degree of warming matters, every minute matters, but by not acting today we're accelerating the most pressing crisis of our time," said one of the protesters, Becky McGee.

Conservative politicians were "more likely to vote against climate action", she added.

A Conservative Party spokesman was not immediately available for comment. The party has said it wants to reduce Britain's greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 through more renewable energy, carbon capture and electric cars.

Extinction Rebellion has previously targeted campaign buses from the opposition Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Brexit Party. (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by David Milliken; editing by Stephen Addison)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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