A city-centre protest will take place next Monday, against Government plans to scrap protections for wildlife habitats. The gathering is scheduled for 5pm at College Green, in response to a call from environmental charities to oppose the new policies.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is opposing measures announced last week by Kwasi Kwarteng, which will create nature-threatening “investment zones” and cut incentives for farmers to protect wildlife. The National Trust, Extinction Rebellion and Wildlife Trusts have also spoken up against the relaxation of environmental protections, which were hinted at in the Chancellor’s widely criticised mini-budget.
The RSPB has branded the move an “attack on nature” and “one of the greatest threats it’s faced in decades”, tearing up “the most fundamental legal protections our remaining wildlife has”. The call to action has prompted grassroots protests around the country – including the one planned for Bristol next week.
The gathering will demand that the Government protects habitat regulations, retains financial help for farmers to preserve natural habitats and reinstates bans on fracking, which Prime Minister Liz Truss has pledged to lift in order to increase domestic energy supply and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
