The Natural History Museum in London has said that an Extinction Rebellion protest that took place on its premises yesterday (Monday 22 April) passed "without incident".

More than 100 protesters staged a "die-in" – laying down on the floor in the main hall, beneath the giant skeleton of a blue whale – to raise awareness of "the sixth mass extinction", as part of the climate change activist group's ongoing campaign to force action on global warming.

Reports suggest that most of the activists finished their lie-down protest after about half-an-hour, only to be succeeded by a group wearing robes, veils and red face paint, who gave a performance to classical music on the steps beneath the whale skeleton.

London has seen considerable disruption at numerous sites over the last week, with more than a thousand arrests of protesters during that time, and the event at the Natural History Museum saw the campaign enter its second week.

Quoted in The Daily Telegraph, a museum spokesman said: "The peaceful protest was supervised by museum staff to ensure the safety of visitors and allow them continued access to the galleries. It took place without incident."

The core objectives of Extinction Rebellion are three-fold: for the government to "tell the truth about climate change"; to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025; and to create a citizens' assembly to oversee progress.

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FEATURE: Zoos & aquariums – Striving for Sustainability