The opening of a new exhibition at the British Museum was disrupted this morning by Greenpeace activists who were protesting at what they alleged were show sponsor BP’s negative effects on the environment.
The exhibition, Sunken Cities, displayed artefacts from two Egyptian cities which were submerged under the sea hundreds of years below. The cities were discovered recently and artefacts, including huge statues, were removed and are now being displayed.
Greenpeace said the exhibition should be called “Sinking Cities” and its activists today unfurled banners listing the names of settlements around the world affected by floods apparently caused by climate change. These included UK towns such as Boscastle and Hebden Bridge, New Orleans in the USA, Manila and the Maldives.
One activist, Elena Polisano, told the media that BP was “responsible for one of the worst oils spills in history. She condemned it for carrying out a core business which involved mining fossil fuels and selling them for people to burn, causing global warming, rather than working to find alternative fuels. She called on the British Museum to replace BP as a sponsor of the exhibition.
BP issued a media statement saying that it was “proud” of the exhibition. It continued, “BP has a long history as a major sponsor of arts and culture in the UK and we are proud to have partnered the British Museum for 20 years, supporting significant exhibitions such as the new Sunken Cities exhibition.”
The Greenpeace action comes a month after activists scaled several London landmarks to protest about poor air quality in the capital.
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