Greenpeace bosses vow to carry on using Just Stop Oil-style tactics after refusing to apologise for...
Greenpeace bosses have refused to apologise for describing criticism of the stunt as 'faux moral outrage' and vowing to carry on using Just Stop Oil-style tactics. Joint directors Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum lashed out at critics for 'likening it to attacks of all kinds' despite their core principle of non-violence. 'What we did was drape a curtain over an empty house at the time of a climate crisis and send a message,' they told The Guardian. 'We've been to politician's houses before and not met with this kind of response. We need some really serious people in this Cabinet at the moment and it doesn't feel like we've got them. 'The worst thing we can do in an onslaught against direct action and legitimate civil disobedience would be to stop doing it; you've got to carry on.' However, they acknowledged that the strength of the backlash meant it would be counterproductive to target other MPs in the near future. The group's stunt, which targeted Mr Sunak's North Yorkshire home while he was on holiday, was branded unacceptable by Tory MPs. Alicia Kearns, who chairs the foreign affairs select committee, said: 'Politicians live in the public eye and rightly receive intense scrutiny, but their family homes should not be under assault. Before long police will need to be stationed outside the home of every MP.' And ex-minister Brendan Clarke-Smith said: 'MPs and their families have enough to worry about with their security without extremist groups and their spoilt activists pulling stunts like this at their homes to promote their unrealistic, extravagant demands and student union-level politics.' Earlier this week the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the pressure group should not be given a 'seat at the table' in Whitehall discussions following the stunt. He said: 'Given their actions and the arrests last week, we don't think it's appropriate to engage with them.' But in a further letter to Mr Sunak, the Greenpeace leaders appealed to the Prime Minister to resume engagement with them. They wrote: 'While we appreciate you might not be pleased with us covering your Yorkshire house in 200 square metres of oil-black fabric to protest against the Government's policy to expand oil and gas extraction, your response to stonewall further communication sends a worrying signal about the Government's commitment to climate action, as well as the future of our democracy. 'We remain keen to meet with you to discuss solutions for reducing the UK's dependence on fossil fuels while tackling the cost of living crisis that so many people across the country are facing. 'Whether you continue to engage with Greenpeace or not, burying your head in the sand will not make the climate crisis go away.'