British Museum Evacuated As Protestors Climb Columns

James Drury
By James Drury Last edited 94 months ago
British Museum Evacuated As Protestors Climb Columns
Greenpeace protestors climb the columns at the British Museum.

Campaigners from Greenpeace have climbed the columns at the front of the British Museum and hung banners to protest BP's sponsorship of the new ancient Egypt exhibition.

The institution closed for a while, according to a spokesperson, who said: "The museum is closed temporarily for visitor safety reasons. We hope we will be able to reopen shortly."

Around 87 people took part in the demonstration, which saw 27ft banners unfurled.

Greenpeace wants the museum to end the sponsorship deal for the Sunken Cities exhibition. A statement on the charity's website says:

The British Museum dedicates itself to learning, discovery and the conservation of human cultures, but the only discoveries BP seeks are more fossil fuels to dig up and burn which are already polluting our air and warming our world. We’re here today taking a stand because of the irony of an oil company sponsoring an exhibition whose name practically spells out impacts of climate change.

The Sunken Cities exhibition features treasures from the lost Ancient Egyptian cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus, which have since vanished under the Mediterranean Sea.

Last Updated 19 May 2016