When the incident happened, Rishi Sunak was attending festivities in London to commemorate the Japanese state visit. He was at his constituency house in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire.
A protest called by activists with Youth Demand is the reason for the arrests. A group of young people who call for “the Tories and the Labour Party to commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel and to stop all new oil and gas licenses” is what they portray themselves as.
Three of those detained were involved in the rally, according to a representative for the group; the fourth individual was an independent photographer.
“They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass,” a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said.
“The men, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.”
It follows another incident from last summer in which demonstrators climbed Mr. Sunak’s home’s roof.
They covered the building with cloth and waved banners that read, “NO NEW OIL”. The prime minister and his family were on vacation in California when it occurred.
A two-day trial for criminal damage is scheduled for Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, Alexandra Wilson, 32, Michael Grant, 64, and Mathieu Soete, 38. All of the defendants have entered not guilty pleas.
