Parliament climate change protesters threaten further disruption

Six people were arrested after an attempt to recreate the suffragettes' "rush" on parliament 100 years ago, during an otherwise peaceful protest in Westminster. Rosie Boycott, the writer and broadcaster who spoke at the protest, said that the campaigners were "determined, organised and mobilised", and ready for further action. A new coalition of groups known as the Climate Suffragettes, which includes stalwarts of middle England the Women's Institute as well as more extreme environmental movements Climate Rush and Plane Stupid, are calling for reform of environment policy, a halt to building more coal fired power stations and an end to airport expansion. Wearing Edwardian clothes and handing out cake, the protest started peacefully in Parliament Square with speeches from each group, However arrests were made when individuals attempted to recreate the "rush" on Parliament and get through police lines at St Stephen's Entrance. It is understood one person was taken to hospital with an injured foot. One 23-year-old woman was arrested for a breach of court bail conditions and five others for incidents relating to breach of the peace. Climate Rush said the 23-year-old is Tamsin Omond, who was seen being led away in handcuffs. The grand-daughter of a baronet is awaiting trial for climbing onto the roof of the Houses of Commons last February in protest against the third runway at Heathrow. She and four others who became known as the "Commons Five" were kept in custody for 12 hours before being released on bail to await their trial on 11 November, at which they could receive a maximum penalty of 51 weeks' custody and a £5,000 fine. Part of Miss Osmond's bail conditions were to stay away from the Houses of Parliament and she could now be held on remand. The Cambridge graduate, who earlier in the day sat her final exam for an MA with the Open University on Ecology and Social Justice and has considered training to become a priest, is now likely to become a figurehead for the environmental movement. Speaking before the protest, she said: "I think this is the defining issue for our generation. We all need to be taking every action we can to stop climate change at the moment. The government targets are inadequate and the likelihood of achieving them is poor. It is up to us and our generation to take the action we need." Joy Greasley, vice chairwoman of the Women's Institute, said it was not just "eco-warriors" concerned about climate change. She said WI members were glad to be protesting alongside groups like Climate Rush, who take part in illegal actions, in the name of climate change. She said: "We believe women can make a difference by acting collectively and taking the common sense approach." Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, said it was a time for action not words. "We are here to do everything we can within the law and possibly without the law to peacefully prevent our descent into climate chaos," she said. Mrs Boycott said: "The threat facing us today is even more serious than the issue that brought our predecessors here. In a hundred years from now the world as we know it won't he here unless we take action. Like the suffragettes (without whom we would not be here), we are determined, organised and mobilised." Abour 60,000 people gathered to call for the suffragettes rush in 1908. During the protest 37 people were arrested and 10 people taken to hospital. One woman managed to get onto the floor of the House of Commons whole a debate was in progress.