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'Extinction Rebellion is inspiring but where is the noise for the people dying on London's streets?'
London's homeless are struggling to survive so why isn't there the same level of public anger, asks Hannah Kane
Hannah KaneDeputy Editor
It is inspiring to see so many protest on climate issues, but what about London's homeless argues our writer? (Image: Getty Images)
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It's been four days since Extinction Rebellion protesters took over some of London's busiest areas to campaign for urgent action on climate change.
The sun has been shining on those occupying Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch as the peaceful bunch continue to put pressure on the government to act.
It's inspiring to see so many out in force for such a vital cause, but I can't help but wish there would be the same amount of noise for those dying on London's streets.
So far, 400 arrests have been made as impassioned men and women glue themselves to roads, trains and each other, or block roads and transport routes.
But, according to homelessness charity Shelter there are just over 400 times that amount of people without a permanent home over their heads.
Campaigners have been taking drastic action to highlight the need for greater urgency on tackling climate change (Image: Steve Reigate)
There are currently 170,000 people in London who are homeless, with more than 3,000 believed to be sleeping on the streets each night.
Across England and Wales 600 homeless people are believed to die each year.
So being made homeless really can mean the difference between life and death.
London's rough sleepers are out in the bitter cold, bracing the elements and risking their lives on a daily basis.
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They are on the frontline but are often forgotten, and it's an issue which I believe our Government has been sleeping on for too long.
What is incredible about Extinction Rebellion is that it is people from all walks of life who are taking part.
It might be the tree-hugging, baggy-trouser wearing hippies that are broadcast on the news. But a vast array of people, from lawyers to electricians, grandmothers to children, are also out on the streets and the issue has clearly struck a chord in the hearts of the nation.
So why can't the same be said for the issue of homelessness?
Rough sleepers are an all-too-familiar sight on London's streets (Image: 2016 Getty Images)
There are many incredible charities, such as Shelter, Crisis and Homeless Link, that are working to tirelessly help homeless people.
However, dramatic changes in social policies have made their job even more of a challenge.
Spiralling rents, welfare cuts and a lack of social housing has resulted in a drastic rise in people on the streets, Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said.
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"It's unforgivable that 320,000 people in Britain have been swept up by the housing crisis and now have no place to call home," she said.
"Record numbers of people are sleeping out on the streets or stuck in the cramped confines of a hostel room."
In the wake of Netflix poaching David Attenborough for the new Our Planet series, more people are likely to be spurred on to fly the climate change banners, and rightly so.
Climate change campaigners have shut off parts of London (Image: PA/Yui Mok)
Attenborough himself has said: "If we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies."
The undeniable evidence of climate change is easy to spot – wildfires ravaging neighbourhoods, ice caps tumbling into the sea and our warmer summers.
"It's hard to exaggerate the peril we are in," Attenborough added.
And yet, what hope is there that we can make major changes for our planet if we aren't willing to do the same for fellow human beings?
I'm not saying we need to ignore the irrefutable devastation our planet is facing, just make people on the fringes of survival as much of a priority.
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