EXTINCTION REBELLION (XR) activists blockaded GB News headquarters in London today, demanding an end to the network’s torrent of climate disinformation.

The climate campaigners blocked the broadcaster’s main entrance with a metal tripod, locking themselves to its legs.

Others sprayed windows with black liquid representing how fossil fuel products are setting the planet on fire.

A climber wearing a hoodie bearing a Marshall Wace logo dangled a Pinocchio puppet in a Union Jack waistcoat from the tripod, symbolising the way that the station “lies for its fossil fuel paymasters.” Marshall Wace is a hedge fund chaired by GB News owner Paul Marshall.

Protesters encircled the entrance holding placards denouncing presenters, including Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson, as “extremists.”

The action came days after the government published its new definition of extremism. So far it has sought to list — and vilify —several Muslim groups and is set to ban them from meeting ministers, civil servants and from receiving public funds.

It is feared that XR will be added to the list after the government’s so-called “violence adviser” Baron Walney, who helped craft the definition, specifically warned against the group.

Today, XR emailed MO6 — the Metropolitan Police unit specialising in public-order planning — Communities Secretary Michael Gove and Baron Walney, demanding that GB News be investigated as an extremist organisation that peddles “an ideology of violence, hate and intolerance with the intent of undermining our liberal democracy.”

Activists also took over the London offices of Marshall Wace, which has £1.8 billion invested in fossil fuel companies.

Four arrests were made at the locations, with protesters charged with criminal damage and for “locking on.” 

Protester Jon Fuller said: “The TV lie factory inside this building perfectly fits [the government’s] new definition of extremism by peddling an ideology of violence, hate and intolerance aimed at wrecking our liberal democracy.”

He warned that fake claims by GB News that the climate crisis is not real puts “billions of lives at ever-greater risk by delaying action.”

Todd Smith, who protested at Marshall Wace said that Mr Marshall “is the very definition of an extremist,” with his “pet TV station spouting “climate lies and anti-immigrant poison.”

“It’s clear that he’s trying to use his money and his media influence to stop urgent action on climate change and to divide the British people against each other through hate and intolerance.” 

The action came after Tory MPs Mr Rees-Mogg, Esther McVey and backbencher Philip Davies were found to have broken Ofcom rules on GB News.

Since the politicians acted as presenters, news was “not presented with due impartiality,” the watchdog said, warning that repeated breaches could result in a statutory sanction.