Caller Compares Climate Protesters To Gandhi And Says They Should Carry On

22 April 2019, 17:12 | Updated: 22 April 2019, 17:40

A caller who compared Extinction Rebellion to Gandhi said the climate activists should continue their protests until the government introduce comprehensive legislation to tackle climate change.

Extinction Rebellion have announced they are switching tactics towards 'political negotiations' and will "pause" protests that have caused disruption to central London.

Listener Matt phoned LBC to tell Ian Payne that he thinks protests should continue if their demands are not met and that "the protestors have to be there."

He said: "We cannot yet at the moment, as individuals and as companies, be trusted to take care of the environment.

Matt went on to compare the climate activists to the Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi who campaigned against British colonial rule through civil disobedience.

He said: "He changed all of India by peaceful protest - that's what needs to happen.

Strong regulation is the only answer to tackle environmental issues, according to Matt.

He said: "Big companies, little companies, and individuals aren't listening.

"The only way to make them listen is to legislate and that means our weak government and weak MPs, and I mean all of them of any colour, they need to do something.

"They need to stop worrying about being re-elected at the next general election and they need to get up off their bottoms and put some laws in place, like the carrier bag law for example, which stops folk using things they don't need to use and which damage the environment."