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A monumental protest was carried out by Extinction Rebellion campaigners on Saturday that was visible from the M5 in Gloucestershire.

Activists targeted the Tyndale Monument at Nibley Knoll, near Dursley, which is a tribute to William Tyndale (1494-1536) who brought literacy to the masses by translating The Bible from Latin.

The Wotton Under Edge campaigners said they were raising the banner for climate change and would remove it to take it to London next week.

They paraded the banner made entirely from recycled materials throughout Wotton, before raising the banner at the landmark which is visible from miles around.

The 5m x 15m banner is painted with the message 'If Not You, Who? If Not Now, When?'

(Image: Extinction Rebellion)

Christina Wheeler, of Wotton Under Edge Extinction Rebellion, said: “'The banner’s message is for everyone.

“We are privileged to live in such a beautiful area but we have to understand that we will all be affected by climate change.

"Is it really acceptable anymore for people to watch David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg telling us that time is running out, and then do nothing?

"This planet is a home for us all. We have to fight for it. Being 'green' in our own lives is, of course, important, but it is no longer enough – we need to demand bigger changes to save the planet. If we work together to demand change, there is still hope, but we have to Act Now."

There was criticism of the protest on social media groups in the area, criticising the campaigners for blighting the monument.

Several members of the Wotton Extinction Rebellion group are joining the protests which begin in London on Monday, October 7. They hope to display the banner in London later that week.

The London protest will last for at least two weeks.

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