Female Student Bares at Extinction Rebellion Protests in London to 'Help Save Planet'
12:14 GMT 26.08.2021 (Updated: 15:15 GMT 28.05.2023)
© REUTERS / HENRY NICHOLLS
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Amherst reportedly said that taking her clothes off “gets people talking" but it seems she's diverted the internet crowd's focus from the environment to her chest.
Laura Amherst, a 31-year-old politics student at the Open University, decided to make a statement during the ongoing Extinction Rebellion protests that kicked off in London this week by flashing some skin.
According to The Daily Mail, Amherst, who previously rallied in a pair of knickers and a couple of "XR" stickers covering her nipples, explained that she's been going completely topless since Monday and intends to continue doing so for the rest of the two-week rally.
"Dancing topless brought a nice energy to the protest and was also a very body positive thing to do. A lot of people congratulated me for doing this, especially women," she said.
“It’s to raise awareness of how important it is to take the #ClimateCrisis seriously. People don’t take it seriously and we really need to cut our emissions, we really need to take individual action.”
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) August 23, 2021
Laura Amherst, 31, of Brighton, on why she’s topless at #ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/PdMzKj77fM
Amherst insisted that she wasn’t paid to pull the stunt and isn't trying to draw attention to herself.
"If me taking my clothes off can help save the planet then why not. I made the decision on Monday at the start of the protest campaign. It was my own choice, it had nothing to do with anybody else," she added.
She described herself as a vegan who drives a hybrid car, and said that both her boyfriend and father have been "very supportive" of her decision to go topless during the protest.
"We are doing all that we can to save the planet. Taking my clothes off gets people talking and also brought a smile to their faces," Amherst declared.
A number of social media users, however, seem more interested in her breasts than the message behind the protests.
‘Yeah I’d recently got a boob job and couldn’t really find any other reason to get them out so thought I may aswell attend a pointless nuisance of a protest’
— V (@AwkardTruths) August 23, 2021
@DawnNeesom so are silicone implants environmentally friendly?
— cw@shampoochgroomers (@clarewilliams14) August 25, 2021
So fed up with these people. No thought just shock tactics whilst cocking up peoples real lives!!!
— Josephine margaret (@josephinemarg) August 23, 2021
