Two climate activists targeted the original Magna Carta, a 13th-century document enshrined in the British Library's Treasures Gallery, in a desperate bid to raise awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis.
Two octogenarian environmental activists, Rev. Sue Parfitt and Judy Bruce, launched a calculated attack on the glass case housing the original Magna Carta, a revered historical document symbolizing the rule of law and individual liberties, in the heart of London's British Library. Armed with a hammer and chisel, they aimed to draw global attention to the impending climate catastrophe.
Despite causing superficial damage to the reinforced case, the Magna Carta itself remained unharmed, thanks to the timely intervention of the library's security team. Parfitt and Bruce were swiftly apprehended and arrested by the London Metropolitan Police.
"The Magna Carta is justifiably revered as a cornerstone of our history, freedoms, and laws," the duo declared in a statement justifying their audacious act. "But if we allow climate breakdown to escalate into the looming catastrophe, all freedoms, laws, and rights will become obsolete."
The activists, hailing from the environmental group Just Stop Oil, are resolute in their mission to wean the world off its dependency on fossil fuels. They vehemently condemn the government's complacency, accusing it of breaching its own climate change laws.
"The Magna Carta epitomizes the rule of law and resistance against power abuse," Bruce declared during the protest. "Our government, by persistently disregarding its climate change obligations, has itself become an offender."
Parfitt, driven by her Christian faith, amplified this sentiment: "As a Christian, I feel an unyielding obligation to combat the heinous suffering that is already being inflicted by climate change and the far more calamitous consequences it holds for the future. Whatever must be done, at any personal cost, we must halt the exploitation of fossil fuels."
The British Library responded swiftly to the incident, closing the Treasures Gallery indefinitely until thorough assessments can be conducted. The Magna Carta, a cornerstone of Western democracy, stands as a potent reminder of the fundamental rights it enshrines, including the right to protest.
There are currently only four known original versions of the Magna Carta: two reside in the British Library, one is preserved within Salisbury Cathedral, and the final one is housed within Lincoln Castle. Each original serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of a document that has shaped the course of legal history for centuries.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
