Extinction Rebellion swarms Victoria Beckham show at London Fashion Week

Rebecca Speare-Cole15 September 2019

Extinction Rebellion have swarmed the Victoria Beckham show at London Fashion week, holding up placards as they gathered outside the Strand venue.

Beckham was showcasing her SS20 collection at 180 Strand on Sunday, when protesters arrived outside.

The climate change activists held up placard which read "fashion = ecocide" and "the ugly truth about fashion".

It comes as Extinction Rebellion stage a number of protests to disrupt London Fashion Week, including a huge funeral procession along the Strand.

An attendee of Victoria Beckham's fashion show walks past Extinction Rebellion protestors as they demonstrate against London Fashion Week at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London.
REUTERS

In a series of actions which started on Friday, the climate change group is targeting major fashion show events in order to rally against the industry's global carbon footprint.

The main event will be held on Tuesday for Fashion Week's last day as activists take part in a funeral procession from Trafalgar Square to 180 Strand - London Fashion Week's central venue.

Designer Victoria Beckham following her catwalk show at London Fashion Week in London.
REUTERS

XR spokeswoman Sara Arnold said: "This will be the biggest action, a funeral procession to mark the end of Fashion Week, called 'London Fashion Week: Rest in Peace'.

"It will be a funeral for London Fashion Week but also commemorating the lives that have been lost due to climate change and ecological collapse.

"Obviously the fashion industry has had a big impact on the crisis."

Extinction Rebellion protestors demonstrate against London Fashion Week near the Foreign and Commonwealth office, where Victoria Beckham was showing her latest designs.
REUTERS

Activists will meet at 5pm at Trafalgar Square before marching off at 5.30pm towards 180 Strand, where a ceremony will take place blocking all traffic.

"There will be a eulogy and music so it should be quite moving," Ms Arnold said, adding the group istargeting London Fashion Week because it is seen as a fashion hub with a global spotlight.

Extinction Rebellion protestors demonstrate against London Fashion Week in Westminster.
REUTERS

"The fashion industry obviously has a huge impact to the environment - somewhere between 7 and 8 per cent of carbon emissions. This is more than international shipping and airplane carbon combined.

“Even to make one standard cotton t-shirt takes 2,500 litres of water."

Ms Arnold said Extinction Rebellion recognises that within London Fashion Week there has been "a lot of movement" to make the fashion industry more sustainable.

“But given that the footprint of the industry is growing more and more," she added, "and there is no signs of real progress, we need to see drastic changes.

"The political will needs to be set in stone and needs to happen now. We are just running out of time.”

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