‘How dare he!’ Schoolgirl, 13, who was threatened with arrest by riot police outside The Lodge breaks her silence and accuses Prime Minister of ‘racing off to Hawaii’ and lying on a beach with his ‘head in the sand’
- Video of a young protester camped outside Scott Morrison’s house went viral
- Izzy Raj-Seppings broke her silence, saying she is watching her ‘future burn’
- The 13-year-old dragged her dad on a one-hour bus trip to attend the protest
- She accused Scott Morrison of ‘lying on a tropical beach with his head in sand’
- A proud activist, she is a member of the Extinction Rebellion group in Sydney
The schoolgirl who faced down police at a climate protest outside Scott Morrison’s house has been revealed to be 13-year-old Izzy Raj-Seppings.
Passionate about the bushfire crisis, the youngster has already been tipped to become Australia’s own Greta Thunberg after footage from the protest went viral.
Despite bursting into tears, she refused to back down after police outside Scott Morrison’s Kirribilli warned ‘force may be used’ to arrest her.
A young girl, since revealed to be 13-year-old Izzy Raj-Seppings, is seen being told by police on Thursday that she could be arrested ‘with force’
Izzy (pictured) was seen among hundreds of protesters outside Mr Morrison’s house on Thursday, protesting the government’s inaction over climate change
Breaking her silence for the first time, Izzy explained she had dragged her dad on a one-hour bus trip on ‘the hottest day of the year’ to demand the government taken action.
‘I’m tired of watching my future burn before my eyes,’ she wrote in the Guardian.
She had travelled to the protest outside Mr Morrison’s Sydney residence, which began when he took a surprise – and much criticised – holiday to Hawaii as the bushfire crisis raged.
Izzy carried a placard (pictured) which read: ‘Look at what you’ve left us. Watch us fight it, Watch us win.’
The 13-year-old held her placard high (pictured) as she was escorted off the premises alongside her father
Already a seasoned protester, she is a member of Extinction Rebellion Sydney.
Carrying a placard reading ‘Look at what you’ve left us. Watch us fight it, Watch us win,’ she faced down over-zealous officers outside the elite residence.
The teenager was joined by hundreds of protesters, who threatened to camp out overnight.
Writing about what motivated her to take the action, she said: ‘How dare Scott Morrison race off to Hawaii during Australia’s time of crisis?
‘What we need is a prime minister who acknowledges that this isn’t another normal fire season, that the cause of this is climate change!
Izzy (pictured) broke her silence after she became a viral sensation and was dubbed Australia’s answer to Greta Thunberg
‘Lives and homes have been taken while Morrison lies on a tropical beach with his head in the sand.’
Describing the day as a ‘whirlwind of emotions’ she said it had started as a peaceful protest before a squad of riot police arrived.
She also accused the police of using ‘intense intimidation tactics’ as they asked the protesters to leave.
After a week of criticism, the Prime Minister is expected to fly back into Sydney on Saturday and visit the Rural Fire Service headquarters over the weekend.
A photo of a group of Australian tourists who claimed to be with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Hawaii (second from right) emerged on social media
Mr Morrison cut short his family trip to Hawaii, and apologised for ‘any offence’ it caused.
‘I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,’ Mr Morrison said on Friday.
‘I have been receiving regular updates on the bushfires disaster as well as the status of the search for and treatment of the victims of the White Island tragedy.’
But the tragedy which saw two volunteer firefighters killed in NSW convinced the Prime Minister to return.
‘Given these most recent tragic events, I will be returning to Sydney from leave as soon as can be arranged,’ he said.
Scott Morrison was pictured relaxing in Hawaii just hours after he said he would come home ‘as soon as I can’
The image, posted on Twitter by an Aussie tourist, showed the Prime Minister sitting down next to his wife Jenny with a drink on the table