Vicar of Bristol, 82, tries to break glass around Magna Carta in Just Stop Oil protest

A retired vicar from Bristol was detained after she and a fellow campaigner tried to smash the glass case housing a copy of the Magna Carta in London’s British Library as part of a Just Stop Oil climate change protest.

rev. Sue Parfitt, a veteran of environmental protests with Extinction Rebellion and Christians Against Climate Change, held a chisel as 85-year-old retired biology teacher Judy Bruce struck her several times with a hammer. The glass did not break, but it was damaged in places.

The two then taped their hands together and to the shop window as part of a protest calling for more government action on climate change. They held up a sign that read: “Government is breaking the law” before sticking to the display.

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Rev Parfitt, 82, of Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol, said: “Magna Carta is rightly revered as being of great importance to our history, our freedoms and our laws. But there will be no freedom, no legality, no rights if we allow climate breakdown to become the catastrophe it now threatens. We have to take things in proportion.

“The abundance of life on earth, the climate stability that allows civilization to continue is what must be revered and protected above all else, even above our most precious artifacts,” she added.

Ms Bruce said: “This week, 400 respected scientists – contributors to the IPCC reports – say we are ‘woefully unprepared’ for what’s coming: 2.5 or more degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels. Instead of acting, our dysfunctional Government is like the three monkeys: “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing – pretend we’re 25… we’re not! We need to get off oil and gas dependence by 2030 – starting now,” she added.

The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment. In a series of posts on X/Twitter, the British Library said the damage to the display case was “minimal”. “An incident occurred at the British Library on Friday 10 May in which two people attacked the secure glass case containing the Magna Carta in the Library’s Treasure Gallery,” the statement said.

“The Library’s Security Team intervened to prevent further damage to the case, which was minimal. The police were notified, and the Magna Carta itself remains undamaged. The Treasure Gallery is temporarily closed until further notice,” the statement added.

Just Stop Oil protesters filled the area of ​​the British Library where the copy of the Magna Carta is on display, filming the hammer attack by the two octogenarians. They posted a video of the attack on Twitter. The British Library copy is one of four still in existence. Two are in the British Library, including one damaged by fire in the 18th century, the other two are in Salisbury and Lincoln Cathedrals.