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Climate Activists Smash Glass Case of Magna Carta in the British Library
Two climate activists smashed a part of the glass case protecting the original text of the Magna Carta, England’s historic charter of human rights, in the British Library in London on Friday. The pair, identified as Reverend Dr Sue Parfitt, 82, and Judy Bruce, 85, were detained by security staff.
In a video posted to social media by the climate group Just Stop Oil, Parfitt holds a chisel to the glass as Bruce hits the instrument with a lump hammer several times. Parfitt then brandished a banner bearing the words, “THE GOVERNMENT IS BREAKING THE LAW.” The document was not damaged according to a statement from the library.
The Magna Carta was a 13th century English treaty which established that no person, including monarchs, are above the law. Only four original copies of the treaty exist, two of which are held in the British Library, one in Salisbury Cathedral and the other in Lincoln Castle.
Just Stop Oil actions have hit cultural institutions across Europe, as its members target famous artworks and world heritage in a bid to bring attention to the ongoing environmental collapse.
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