More than 100 people have staged a protest in Parliament Square against the government’s policy on neonicotinoid pesticides, which many scientists blame for the decline in bees.
Organisers said the protest was to put pressure on DEFRA secretary Owen Paterson ahead of a vital EU vote tomorrow (Monday 29 April).
The March of the Beekeepers was organised to protest against farmers’ use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been blamed for killing bees and other essential crop pollinators.
Beekeepers carrying flowers, apples, pears and other pollinated vegetables, honey and jam, flanked by supporting celebrities including artist Rachel Whitread and fashion designers Dame Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett, descended on Parliament Square for Friday’s demonstration.
Representatives from Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Pesticide Action Network (PAN), RSPB, Soil Association, The Natural Beekeeping Trust, the Wildlife Trusts and 38 Degrees, also joined in the march.
The previous vote, on 14 March, produced a 50/50 split, with the UK abstaining.
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