Today, 50 children are playfully protesting about LEGO's partnership with Shell outside the oil giant's HQ in London by building their favourite Arctic animals out of oversized LEGO bricks. It’s an unusual but hopefully creative and exciting way of facilitating peaceful protest, which might need a little extra explanation.
The kids who are involved and their families are concerned about the world children will inherit. They want to show Shell's bosses inside the building that they love the Arctic, and they don't want Shell to destroy it. They're also telling LEGO to cut its ties with Shell and they want them to know that Shell is a bad playmate.
Why are kids leading
this protest?
Climate change is an enormous threat facing everyone, and
especially children. Yet LEGO, the world’s biggest toy company, is endorsing
Shell, one of the biggest climate polluters on the planet. Shell is trying to
drill for oil in the Arctic and if it’s successful, a devastating oil spill
would be all but inevitable. And the only reason Shell can even drill there is
because the warming climate is melting the ice. Children have a right to be
heard, because it’s their future at stake. Last year UNICEF carried out a study that showed three in four 11 – 16
year olds in the UK are worried about how climate change will affect their
future and want more done to tackle it.
What is the protest?
The protest is designed as a game being run by experienced
teachers and youth and drama workers. Children get involved in a series of
activities where they are the heroes saving the Arctic and rescuing LEGO from
Shell. By taking part in the game they win LEGO bricks so they can build an
Arctic animal to show Shell they love the Arctic. These kids also know their
mission to save the Arctic can only succeed if they convince more people to join
and support the campaign.
Where do these kids
come from and how did they get involved?
There is a network of Greenpeace volunteers across the UK
and many of the children come from families who regularly get involved in campaigns.
We approached parents from the network, explained the plan and the way the
protest would work on the day. These parents asked their children if they
wanted to be involved and they said yes. These children care deeply about environmental
issues and sometimes help their parents raise awareness. All the kids are of
course accompanied by parents and guardians.
What are the giant
LEGO bricks made from?
The LEGO bricks were made from reinforced cardboard.
Depending on their durability after the protest they will be recycled or given
to a local school and used to help teach children about climate change.
Are the kids in
danger by playing in a road?
The street has been secured by experienced volunteers before
the children arrived to play in the space. It is based on the 'play street' model and we’ve gone above
and beyond the strict safety regulations that councils use when they close
roads to create children’s play streets.
