Seven arrested as Extinction Rebellion protesters target London newspaper offices

Seven Extinction Rebellion protesters have been arrested after spray-painting newspaper offices in London.

The protesters threw green paint over windows and outside walls at The Telegraph offices in Victoria, central London, and unfurled banners reading “Tell the Truth”.

They also targeted the offices of the Daily Mail and News UK, which publishes The Sun.

The seven were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, the Metropolitan Police said. Three were held outside the Telegraph offices, two outside the News UK offices in London Bridge and two outside the Daily Mail offices in Kensington.

They claimed the protests were about the “suppression of truth on climate crisis” in the media. The action came ahead of a major planned protest by dozens of climate campaign organisations in a month’s time.

Sarah Montgomery, 72, who was among the Extinction Rebellion protesters holding a banner outside The Telegraph, said: “We’re here because we believe the national press, including this newspaper whose offices are behind us, are not telling the truth about the extent to which we are in a climate emergency.

“And if that were happening the Government would be forced to be doing some very different things from what it’s doing at the moment, which is clearly not enough.”

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police dealt with three incidents of criminal damage at around 11am after paint was thrown onto buildings in Buckingham Palace Road (three arrested), Derry Street, W8 (two arrested) and London Bridge Street SE1 (two arrested). All were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.”