Over the weekend, a group of women stood topless outside Leeds Art Gallery as part of a daring protest.
Around thirteen women took part in the show of force, staged to raise awareness of the ongoing climate crisis.
They removed their tops at the art gallery to reveal messages of protest fearlessly displayed across their chest.
Painted messages like ‘Climate Pandemics’, ‘Climate Crisis’, ‘Climate Floods’, Climate Violence’, and ‘Climate Death’ did most of the talking, as they stood up high on a ledge, hand in hand.
One woman also had a megaphone and gave a speech to those gathered below.
Speaking at the protest, the women – who were there as part of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion – made the point that most of the lives that have been claimed by the climate crisis to date were those of women.
“The climate crisis has claimed too many lives already, and most of those are women.”
“International Justice Day marks the importance of standing up and joining the fight to bring justice to the victims of crimes against humanity and genocide.
“We take this action today in solidarity with those in the global south who are suffering now, and urge the government to do more to tackle the climate crisis.
“We must divest from fossil fuels straight away, and work to restore damaged lands and homes of both animals and people.”
Images were captured by local photographer Neil Terry, who shared them on his Facebook page with a message from the women on the day.
It’s not the first time that Extinction Rebellion has staged topless protests. The group, which is active in pushing for reforms to combat climate change, is known for its bold and headline-grabbing direct action.
Feature image – Neil Terry Photography.
