XR acivist says giving dairy to school pupils is RACIST

Extinction Rebellion's Brighton chief has warned the council that giving children too much dairy is 'racist' because it discriminates against black and ethnic minority groups who are more likely to be lactose intolerant.

Alison Plaumer, from XR, has launched a petition on Brighton and Hove City Council's website for two plant-based days at state-run schools as soon as possible. 

The social sciences lecturer and former Green Party employee is also demanding more council-run events to be vegan once the pandemic is over, and it has been signed by 250 people.

Putting a public question to a full council meeting last month, Ms Plaumer said: 'Arguably, there is a racist element to serving dairy too much because 65 per cent of the  world's  population are lactose intolerant, many from the BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) community.

She cited a paper that claims approximately 65 per cent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. In adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities.

She told councillors that Enfield had stopped serving meat at council events, Lewisham had voted to provide exclusively plant-based options at its events and Leeds had introduced a meat-free day and another plant-based day a week across 182 schools.