Extinction Rebellion activists lose control of hose while spraying 1,800 litres of fake blood onto Treasury building
This is the farcical moment Extinction Rebellion activists lost control of a fire engine hose spraying fake blood as soon as it was switched on.
The protestors drove the vehicle to the steps of the Treasury in Westminster this morning and attempted to spray 1,800 litres of red liquid onto the walls.
However, the pressure of the hose proved too much and they lost control, while the “blood” sprayed all over the ground outside the Grade I listed building.
At one point, someone can be seen attempting to pick the hose back up but the weight and pressure of the liquid proved to be too much.
Four people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage over the incident.
Protestors erected a banner reading "Stop funding climate death” as they attempted to pull off their stunt.
A spokesman for the group said: "It is time to imagine a future where humans no longer cause irreparable harm to themselves and their surroundings, but recognise and support the interconnectedness of life in its broadest sense."
A spokesperson said: "Police were called at 10.17am to Horse Guards Road. People on a privately owned fire engine had sprayed a liquid at the Treasury building. No reported injuries. Three men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage."
Cameron Joshi, 24, from Tooting, a member of Extinction Rebellion, said the protest aims to call attention to decisions taken in the Treasury such as "giving fossil fuel companies subsidies of up to £10.5 billion every single year".
He said another aim of the demonstration is to call attention to "economic inequality that's being overseen by the Treasury which is a major cause of climate breakdown".
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Mr Joshi said the Extinction Rebellion protesters are "dreaming of a better world".
After he came down from the fire engine, 83-year-old Phil Kingston said: "I'm very happy that we've done this and I think we'll get good publicity for the fact that this place is doing dreadful things."
Mr Kingston confirmed he was being arrested.
The protest comes ahead of next week's International Rebellion, when Extinction Rebellion protesters will take action in more than 60 cities around the world.
In the UK, Extinction Rebellion activists are urging the Government to "act now to halt biodiversity loss" and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.
Following the incident, a Treasury spokesman said: "The UK is a world leader on climate change - having reduced its emissions by 42% between 1990 and 2017, while growing the economy by more than two-thirds.
"In June, we became the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to global warming by 2050. We will continue to build on this proud record."
