UK: 'Animal Rebellion' demonstrators climb atop DEFRA building marking anti-meat protest

Animal rights demonstrators attacked a government building in Westminster, London on Monday, demanding people switch to a vegan diet.

Animal Rebellion demonstrators have climbed the outside of the DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) building in the hopes of pressuring world leaders to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture and fishery during the COP26 conference.

The protestors also planned on dropping a banner, demanding that the world should wake up and switch to a fully plant-based diet. They have stated that demonstrations would continue until the government defunds meat and encourages a shift to a plant-based diet.

It took them around two and a half hours to climb atop the DEFRA building, where they unfurled a big orange banner urging world leaders attending the COP26 climate talks next week to "invest in a plant-based future".

Animal Rebellion Protest at the home office in London

The police, fire department, and ambulance service have all arrived. Animal Rebellion shared a photo of activists attempting to scale the structure.

They stated: "Protesters from Animal Rebellion have scaled DEFRA, demanding that the government adopt a plant-based food system at COP26. Meat and dairy are among the top emitters of greenhouse gases, and they are responsible for 90% of Amazon deforestation. World leaders cannot discuss attaining the Paris Climate Goals and achieving global net-zero without realizing that our food system is causing harm to our planet."

A police officer also used a megaphone to address the protestors just before 9 a.m., urging them to come down because they were stopping workers from entering the building.

Inspector Richards stated they were entering with the intent of "intimidating, obstructing, and disturbing" and told them they may be arrested if they didn't come back. He further stated that they will be barred from entering the country for three months.

Police tried to climb down from the top of the structure and pulled down the banner a few hours later, but the demonstrators remained, setting up hammocks as well as lighting off red flares.

According to Sky News, one protester said: "We're urging - no, demanding - the world to wake up and transition to a completely plant-based diet ahead of COP26."

"We don't do it because we want to; we do it because it's the right thing to do.

"If we don't do it, the government won't do anything about it."

The Met Police stated they were on the site alongside the London Fire Brigade and no arrests had been made so yet.

"Police were contacted at 06:09hrs on Tuesday, October 26th following reports that a group of protestors had mounted a government building in Marsham Street SW1, according to a spokeswoman."

IMAGE: AP