Greenpeace activists scale London's statues to demand action on air pollution
- Text by Lars Hamer
- Photography by Greenpeace

Gas masks have been fitted onto up to seventeen of London’s most recognisable statues this morning, as Greenpeace ramp up their campaign to demand government action on increasingly dangerous levels of air pollution in the British capital.
The most notable was the scaling of the 52-metre high Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, by two campaigners: Alison Garrigan, 29 and Luke Jones 30. The two started their climb under the cover of darkness at 4am, and had the gas mask fitted by 8:30am.
Police officers and an ambulance team, as well as several onlookers watched Garrigan and Jones ascend the monument. While sitting on the statue Garrigan spoke to LBC radio, and explained that both herself and Jones had years of climbing experience.
Another protestor managed to sneak through the security at the Houses of Parliament to fit a gas mask onto a statue of Oliver Cromwell. Masks were also fitted on to Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, Queen Victoria opposite Buckingham Palace and Thierry Henry at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium. Currently eight protestors have been arrested, although that figure may rise.
Greenpeace are calling for the next Mayor of London to “stop the talk and start the action.”
The protests have pulled long running debates around air pollution in London back into the spotlight. Nearly 9,500 people die prematurely from air pollution in London every year, an alarming figure, while the figure for the entire United Kingdom comes to nearly 40,000.
Greenpeace campaigner, Areeba Hamid told Huck that at schools across London “children are being forced to breathe illegal, dangerous air.”
“Londoners need greener and affordable public transport, along with air pollution alerts and an efficient and adequate system to measure air quality”, she continued.
Greenpeace are demanding an expanded Clear Air Zone to ensure less dangerous air enters Londoners’ lungs, greener and more affordable public transport, and an efficient and adequate system to measure air quality. With the London Mayoral election coming up on 5 May 2016, all eyes will be on the candidates to see what they will offer.
It’s not just London that has an issue with pollution – many major British cities breach the legal limits of pollution in the air.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists
We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.
Written by: Zahra Onsori

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme
Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.
Written by: Zahra Onsori

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?
Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.
Written by: Emma Garland

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography
The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.
Written by: Miss Rosen

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth
Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.
Written by: Isaac Muk

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’
Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.
Written by: Ella Glossop