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Die-in: Is this the oddest climate change protest yet?

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Protestors lie on floor in protestImage source, PA

We've seen children walking out of school, adults gluing themselves to trains, and people of all ages staging sit-ins on roads - all to try and make politicians take climate change more seriously.

But now protestors have been staging something called a 'lie in' or 'die in', where they lie on the floor as part of their campaign to raise awareness of climate change.

Around three-hundred people have taken part in one at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, in Glasgow lying beneath Dippy, the famous copy of a diplodocus skeleton currently touring the UK.

Image source, Press Association

For 20 minutes they lay down on the floor without moving with the sound of a violin playing in the background, in the event organised by Wee Rebellion, a climate-change protest group for young people in Glasgow associated with Extinction Rebellion.

Organisers of the 'die in' said Wee Rebellion would continue to hold protests until local and central governments committed to zero greenhouse gas emissions within 11 years and established climate citizens assemblies to oversee the changes.

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People held handwritten signs with the question "Are we next?", while children held pictures they had drawn of their favourite at-risk animals as part of the event.

'Die ins' have also taken place elsewhere, including the city of Lund in Sweden, where a number of people lay on cobbled streets in the rain, while 30 people lay down on the floor of a shopping centre in Oslo in Norway.

Extinction Rebellion have been behind many of the demonstrations being held across the UK, with the group using non-violent gatherings to encourage the British government to take action on climate and environment issues.

They also carried out a series of peaceful protests, including planting trees and blocking bridges. Some of these caused problems for people in the capital trying to use public transport.

The main hub of their protests have been going on in the centre of London, with 1,500 people turning up to their first big protest last year in Parliament Square.

Media caption,

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Actress Emma Thompson, who played Nanny McPhee, joined the movement on 19 April, after flying back from Los Angeles in America, while 16-year-old Swedish environmental advocate, Greta Thunberg, joined protestors in London last week.

Police have arrested hundreds of people involved in the protests, but the group say this is want they want. They claim they have been trying to get arrested as much as possible because they think it will help with their demands.

Some people say, however, that the group causes unnecessary disruption and wastes police time when forces are already overstretched.

There are also similar groups working under the Extinction Rebellion name, all over the world.