Two women from Huntingdonshire joined thousands of people in London as they took part in the Extinction Rebellion protests.

The Hunts Post: Natalie Bartlett joined protesters in London last weekNatalie Bartlett joined protesters in London last week (Image: Archant)

Mary Downhan and Natalie Bartlett both joined protesters in the capital in an effort to draw the Government's attention to climate change and deforestation.

The rebellion protests have been centred on Westminster to send a message to the Government that it is, according to Extinction Rebellion, "still misinforming the British people about the severity of the climate crisis".

Natalie, who has a seven-year-old daughter called Laurelin, made the decision to take her daughter out of school for the day to attend the protests.

The 40-year-old, from Offord Cluny, said it was a controversial decision, but she wanted to prove to her daughter that she is doing something to help climate change.

Natalie said: "I started looking at the world differently when I had my daughter, and as my daughter grew up I realised that there was a lot of things that needed to change.

"I understand the decision to take her out of school will be criticised, but the way I think about it is she is a very intelligent young girl, who is interested in nature, and I don't want her to ask me when she is older, what did you do about it and for me to say 'nothing'. I think it was really important for me to open up to her and show her what we are doing about it.

"I would like the Government to tell the truth about climate change; to heed the warnings raised by scientists and to act now for the sake of our future generations."

Mary, from Brampton, took part in the 'nurse-in' outside Downing Street, which saw her and hundreds of other mothers nursing their children in the street.

Mary said: "I have a two-month-old child so I am still on maternity leave, and thought why not go and join in? I took time off work in April to go to a protest and thought about setting one up in Huntingdon and then when I knew that this was happening I thought why not go and join in?

"As a mother-of-three, I realise that what we are doing now will affect my children and I want to show that I am making a difference. the reason I am doing it is due to deforestation, and bio-diversity. The protests had such a great sense of community and I felt really safe."