Meet the grandfather who has been arrested a staggering THIRTEEN TIMES in the name of climate change – and was apprehended by police following the DLR protest this morning.
Veteran Extinction Rebellion campaigner Phil Kingston, 83, was one of a number of people who tried to disrupt public transport in London on Thursday (17/10/19).
Former probation officer Phil glued his left hand to a Docklands Light Railway train at Shadwell in protest over the climate crisis.
Despite violent scenes elsewhere, Mr Kingston appeared to succeed in his mission while surrounded by police and station staff.
Mr Kingston, from Patchway, Bristol, said: “I’m doing this primarily for my grandchildren because I’ve learned that what they’re heading towards at the moment is an increase in temperature of over three degrees centigrade.
“Now that is suffering and death on an enormous scale, loss of food supplies, and I’m just here to ring an alarm bell.
“[I want] to wake up people and say ‘please open your eyes – see what’s happening to your children and grandchildren’.”
After his eleventh arrest in April, Mr Kingston sat down and talked about his long record – and his motivation to keep going.
He said: “I take the law very seriously. But when the law is supporting corporations who are ruining the earth, I’m not accepting that at all.
“It’s not going to work – the earth cannot be paid for. Many of us are in a position where we have nothing to lose.
“It’s harder for young people, a criminal record or arrest might prevent them getting certain jobs, but us retired folk have nothing to be scared of on that front.
“And what better reason to get arrested than trying to make the world a better place.
“I am prepared to be arrested and go to prison if that’s what it takes to get our politicians to listen.
“The Suffragettes, and those that won civil rights in America, broke the law fighting for equality so it seems fair enough for me to do it to help secure a safe climate for all of humanity.
“I love my grandchildren and I’m worried that the world we’re handing over to them is going to be much worse than the one I inherited.”
When asked if he had one message, he said: “Love each other and love the earth.”
Furious commuters dragged one protester from the roof of a Tube train at Canning Town in London during ugly scenes this morning.
The stunt made up part of wider protests in the capital, which have proved divisive.
A Section 14 order was issued by the Metropolitan Police on Monday evening in a bid to disrupt the event.