Extinction Rebellion protester dressed as bee superglues himself to Lib Dem battlebus

Activists swarm around vehicle to demand climate change be pushed up political agenda

An Extinction Rebellion protester dressed as a giant bee has glued himself to the windscreen of the Liberal Democrat campaign battlebus to demand the climate emergency is pushed up the political agenda.

Six activists dressed as bees swarmed around the electric-powered vehicle ahead of a visit by the Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson to the Streatham youth centre in London.

Pete McCall, who said he used superglue to attach himself to the bus, said: “All the parties are being targeted today.”

Footage showed two other protesters speaking to Ms Swinson as they blocked the road.

One activist could be heard saying: “Political parties have never, ever met any of their climate targets. They’re not doing it now, and why should we believe they’ll do it in the future?

“We need to go beyond what is politically possible to give the children in this youth centre an actual future.”

In response, Ms Swinson said: “I absolutely agree that this is about the future of the next generation.

“I went to an Extinction Rebellion protest and took part in it myself earlier this year.

“I want us to get to net zero as quickly as possible. I was to take carbon out of our society and our economy. And I hope you appreciate the demands we set out in our manifesto…”

Six Extinction Rebellion protesters dressed as bees swarm around the Lib Dem battlebus (Extinction Rebellion)

Jo Swinson speaks to Extinction Rebellion protesters dressed as bees (Extinction Rebellion)

The Lib Dem leader later told reporters:"There is clearly a little bit of an irony in gluing yourself to an electric bus."

Extinction Rebellion said they are targeting all political parties with a series of non-violent protests as part of their “Twelve days of crisis” campaign.

Protesters dressed as bees also targeted the Brexit Party offices in Grimsby where they performed a "die-in" and blocked a bus.

On Tuesday, a group of mothers held a mass “feed-in” outside the Conservative Party HQ in London. They held signs which read ”climate kills children”.

It comes after Boris Johnson was replaced by a melting ice sculpture after he refused to take part in Channel 4’s election climate change debate.

Extinction Rebellion said today’s protest, going by the name “Bee-yond Politics”, was being carried out “ to remind politicians of the irreplaceable biodiversity loss that is a direct result of their poor, irresponsible policy-making”.

“Activists wanted to plant the plight of bees and other pollinators fully in the minds of the next prime minister, and to remind them that they hold the future of life in their hands,” it said.

“Our bee population is being threatened by extreme weather and habitat destruction, bringing with it crop instability and food vulnerability.

“Eighteen parliamentary candidates, including five incumbent MPs, have expressed support for our Three Demands Bill so far, with more set to declare.”