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Anti-oil protestors try to damage the Magna Carta

Magna Carta - Level 4

Climate protestors tried to damage a world-famous document – the Magna Carta. Two women in their 80s went to the British Library to attack the document. They damaged the document's case using a hammer and a chisel. Police charged them with criminal damage. Security officers stopped them from doing further damage. The Magna Carta stayed safe. The women are from the Just Stop Oil group. They accused the UK of breaking climate laws.

The Magna Carta is a royal charter from 1215. It states that everyone is equal under the law. It guarantees everyone a fair trial, with a jury. Historians say the document influenced the development of Western democracy, and the U.S. Constitution. The two protestors said the Magna Carta was important for our freedoms. They added that: "There will be no freedom, no lawfulness, no rights, if we allow climate breakdown."

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Magna Carta - Level 5

Climate protestors tried to damage one of the world's most famous documents – the Magna Carta. Two women in their 80s went to the British Library in London and attacked the case that contained the Magna Carta. The women damaged the glass using a hammer and a chisel. Police charged them with criminal damage. The British Library said security staff prevented the women from doing further damage. The Magna Carta stayed safe. The women are from the Just Stop Oil protest group. They held up a sign that read: "The government is breaking the law."

The Magna Carta is a royal charter that was agreed to in 1215. It states that everyone is equal under the law. It guarantees that everyone should have a fair trial, with a jury. Historians say the document influenced the development of Western democracy, and the U.S. Constitution. The two protestors said: "The Magna Carta is…of great importance…to our freedoms and to our laws. But, there will be no freedom, no lawfulness, no rights, if we allow climate breakdown to become the catastrophe that is now threatened."

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Magna Carta - Level 6

Two climate activists have tried to damage one of the world's oldest and most famous documents – the Magna Carta. The women are both in their 80s. They went to the British Library in London and attacked the glass case that contained the Magna Carta. The women used a hammer and a chisel to try to break the glass. Police have charged the women with criminal damage. The British Library said its security staff, "intervened, to prevent further damage to the case". It added that the "Magna Carta itself remains undamaged". The women are from the Just Stop Oil protest group. They held up a sign that read: "The government is breaking the law." The women also glued themselves to the case.

The Magna Carta is a royal charter that was agreed to by King John of England on the 15th of June 1215. It stated that everyone was equal under the law. It also guaranteed that everyone should have a fair trial, with a jury. Historians say the Magna Carta was the foundation for the development of Western democracy. In particular, it influenced the U.S. Constitution. The two protestors said: "The Magna Carta is…of great importance to our history, to our freedoms and to our laws. But, there will be no freedom, no lawfulness, no rights, if we allow climate breakdown to become the catastrophe that is now threatened." They added: "Our government is breaking its own laws against climate change."

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson