Climate Protesters Vandalize Darwin’s Memorial with Orange Paint


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Environmental activists from Just Stop Oil vandalized Charles Darwin’s memorial at Westminster Abbey by spraying orange paint across his grave. The activists targeted the renowned naturalist’s resting place with the message “1.5 is dead,” referencing the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Through a press statement, Just Stop Oil confirmed that two of their supporters were responsible for defacing Darwin’s grave, explaining that the action was meant to pressure the UK government to collaborate with other nations in ending fossil fuel extraction and usage by 2030.

The environmental group, known for their controversial tactics of damaging artwork to draw attention to climate issues, chose Darwin’s grave to symbolically argue that humanity won’t be able to adapt to climate changes. They claimed that Darwin himself would be disturbed by what they described as the world’s sixth mass extinction.

The activists expressed concern over government policies they believe will lead to temperature increases exceeding 3 degrees, warning of devastating consequences. They also linked recent California wildfires, which resulted in 24 fatalities and extensive property damage, to climate change.

However, alternative viewpoints, including those expressed by President-elect Donald Trump, attribute the California disasters to poor resource management, inadequate brush clearing, and problematic planning decisions by the state’s Democratic leadership.

This isn’t the first time Darwin’s legacy has faced scrutiny from progressive groups. In 2020, the Natural History Museum in Britain, responding to pressure from the Black Lives Matter movement, initiated a review of potentially controversial items, including Darwin’s Galapagos Islands specimens. A museum curator suggested these items were connected to colonial scientific expeditions.