Four arrested after waxwork of the King is smeared with chocolate cake
The Just Stop Oil campaigners, including Ellie McFadden, from Glasgow, were protesting at Madame Tussauds in London.
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Your support makes all the difference.Four people have been arrested after chocolate cake was thrown on a waxwork of the King at Madame Tussauds in London.
The Just Stop Oil activists bought tickets for the attraction just after 10.30am on Monday, stepped over the barrier and appeared to smear the model with cake.
They are calling for the UK Government to halt all new oil and gas licences and consents.
Ellie McFadden, 20, from Glasgow, said: “We are here because we seek to protect our freedoms and rights, because we seek to protect this green and pleasant land which is the inheritance of us all.
“Last year, at Cop 26 in Glasgow, Queen Elizabeth said: “The time for words has moved to the time for action.”
Ms McFadden added: “The science is clear. The demand is simple: just stop new oil and gas. It’s a piece of cake.”
The King had planned to travel to Egypt for Cop27, but has since abandoned plans to do so after it was claimed former prime minister Liz Truss warned him against attending.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
They said: “We responded quickly to an incident at Madame Tussauds after two people threw food at a statue at approximately 10.50hrs.
“Four people have been arrested for criminal damage related to this incident.”
Just Stop Oil has come under fire for their controversial methods in recent weeks after they threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery this month.
The group describes itself as a “coalition of groups” working to take action over climate change and so that “the Government commits to ending all new licences and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK”.
They are backed by the US-based Climate Emergency Fund who distribute grants to projects taking “disruptive action” over climate change around the world.
The front windows of Harrod’s were also spray-painted by the climate activists last week.
Justice secretary Brandon Lewis branded the move as “obscene” on Twitter following the incident.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer previously called their actions “arrogant and wrong”.
He said the party would introduce strict sentences for those who block roads.
“I think they’re wrong, I think their action is wrong,” Sir Keir told LBC Radio.
“My mum was very ill all of her life – she was in those ambulances when she was alive, and there will be other families listening to this who will be in the same situation. It’s arrogant,” he said.
Gary Lineker hit out at Mr Starmer’s comments, saying: “They’re not arrogant, they’re terrified for the future for them and their children.”
A spokesperson for Madame Tussauds London said they were working closely with the Metropolitan Police on the matter.
In a statement, Madame Tussauds said: “At approximately 10.50am today protesters entered the World Stage Zone at and appeared to throw what is believed to be cake at our figures of the royal family.
“Our security team dealt with the incident quickly and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police on this matter.
“The attraction remains open, with our royal family set closed temporarily.