Climate Protestor On Hunger Strike Says She Is ‘Prepared To Die’

A climate protestor on a hunger strike has said she's 'prepared to die' for what she believes in, saying she refuses to eat until Prime Minister Boris Johnson listens to Extinction Rebellion's demands.

Campaigner Laura Amherst, 31, posted a video on Instagram to announce she would be embarking on a hunger strike - which is a part of the drastic measures she and many others are taking to try and get the government to take action to save the future of our planet.

She said she'd written a letter to Johnson 'about the environmental crisis', explaining how targets that had already been set were 'not ambitious enough' and would not be met in time.

Amherst, who often takes to the streets topless to protest climate change, admitted she felt 'scared' about her choice to 'not eat', but said she has to do 'all' that she can.

She said: "I have made the decision to not eat any more food until Boris Johnson actually addresses this letter and Extinction Rebellion's demands.

"And now I know this is going to be extremely dangerous to me, and I'm scared, nervous myself, but I have to do all that I can and I've made.

"I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks and I've made this decision and I'm prepared. This is going to sound so dramatic, but I'm prepared to die for this.

"It's really obviously very hard because I have a child, but I have to do all that I can. And she has a good family around her good father and she'll be well protected."

'Vegan politics student' Amherst asked her 18,000 followers to spread the word by sharing her video, even saying she would offer up the chance of winning £100 if fans sent her proof that they'd posted it.

Reading out her letter, Amherst referred to herself as a 'very concerned mother of a young daughter'.

"I have been particularly worried about the fact that I do not believe the targets you are setting for this country to reduce emissions and to tackle this climate emergency are good enough," she said.

Amherst added: "The more we drag our heels in making the necessary cuts to emissions now, the steeper the cuts we will have to make in the future."

She concluded the letter by saying: "Boris, we cannot afford to not act on this. My child's future, your child's future, and all the children of the world's future depend on us getting this right and doing what has to be done."

Featured Image Credit: Jam Press

Topics: UK News, climate change, News, extinction rebellion, Protest

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman