• Newspaper library Protesters against the climate crisis stain red the facade of Congress (6/4/2022)

Almost a dozen activists have staged this afternoon a surprise action in front of the facade of the lions of the Congress of Deputies, throwing cans of red paint to protest the climate policy of the Government. Eight have been immediately arrested by the police.

When the plenary of Congress voted the validation of the decree of the reform of pensions, a group of between eight and nine people from the collectives Extinction rebellion, Futuro Vegetal and Rebelión Científica began to shout "climate justice" and throw cans of biodegradable red paint against the facade of Congress.

During the action, which lasted a few minutes, protesters launched proclamations such as "we are ruled by criminals" and lamented the effects that climate change is producing.

Arrest of some of the activists involved in the vandalism. EFE

Activists have defended this action and anticipate new protests as long as the Government does not take action to understand that they have no "alternative" when there are all kinds of scientific articles warning of the climate crisis and "do nothing".

Recidivists

In fact, a year ago, the same groups of activists staged another similar action, for which now 15 of them are investigated, accused of crimes of damage and public disorder, as they have been informed today in the court of instruction number 30, in the previous statements.

Two of the activists who have participated in the new action of disobedience on the steps of Congress had been hours before in the courts of Plaza de Castilla, where they have abided by their right not to declare, as they have reported as soon as they leave their appointment.

"I would do it again a thousand times," said environmentalist Belén Díaz Collante, before participating in the protest in front of the Lower House building for which she has been arrested along with seven other activists, as explained by Scientific Rebellion.

If on April 6, 2022 this group of scientists and activists stained with fake blood – a preparation of water and beetroot – the facade of the Congress of Deputies to demand climate action from political leaders, this time, almost a year later, it has used red paint.

"The actions will continue to happen because we cannot do anything else," said Victor de Santos, spokesman for Scientific Rebellion who participated in the protest this morning but has not been arrested.

"As scientists we have published all kinds of papers and nothing is done. It has spent a year of action in the same place throwing biodegradable paint that goes with water and our Government has done nothing, "added the environmentalist.

"Another IPCC report was published, and our government still does not act and it is not only that it does not act, but that it acts to criminalize us, to repress us. We are fed up we do not know what else to do," he said.

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