The sand is there to represent the effects of climate change.

A pile of sand has been placed outside Westminster Abbey as part of a protest against climate change. The pile was placed there by campaigners from Extinction Rebellion, who are staging a week-long protest at the Houses of Parliament.

The sand is there to represent the effects of climate change, which includes rising sea levels and increased droughts and heatwaves. The group said it was to highlight how the Government is “failing our future generations”.

“We are here to tell our Government that we will not stand by and watch them fail our future generations,” Extinction Rebellion’s statement read. “We are here today to demand that our Government tell us how they plan to reduce carbon emissions so we can live in a world with forests, rivers and oceans.”