Animal rights activists sprayed white ‘fake milk’ paint on Big Ben this morning ahead of Liz Truss’ first Prime Minister’s Questions.

Nine Animal Rebellion Activists blocked the Parliament Street junction around 10.45am today pouring ‘milk’ on the road and spraying white paint on the Elizabeth Tower using fire extinguishers.

Metropolitan Police officers were pictured at the scene of the protest as vegan activists sat in the road with a banner reading ‘plant based future’.

The climate and animals campaign group said it had “targeted Liz Truss ahead of her first PMQs, with the aim of coercing her into negotiating her demands”.

They said they gave the monument “a fresh coat of white paint to represent the destruction and cruelty of the dairy industry”.

It is the fourth day in a row of the group’s anti-dairy protests as part of their ‘Plant-Based Future’ campaign, which they say has left milk shelves empty in Plymouth, Portsmouth, Bristol and Birmingham.

Andrew Howard, 63, a retired firefighter from Sheffield, Westminster, said this morning ‘today’s action is a direct challenge to Prime Minister Liz Truss’.

“We’re asking him to make the drastic changes that we know need to happen in order to tackle the cost of living, climate and ecological crises we face.”

“Supporting farmers in a plant-based future, while re-saving the land it would free up, is a no-brainer.

“A plant-based future means cheaper food, more nature, and massive amounts of carbon taken from the atmosphere. It’s a win for everyone

Animal Rebellion is trying to pressure new Prime Minister Liz Truss and new DEFRA Minister Ranil Jayawardena to “directly recognize [their] demands for a plant-based future”.

Gloucestershire breeding veterinarian Dr Alice Brough, 31, said: ‘Liz Truss and Ranil Jayawardena’s attitude of prioritizing free trade, whatever the cost, showed negligence shocking to British farmers, and thus the rest of us grappling with the cost of -living crisis.’

“New Prime Minister Liz Truss must immediately rebuild her broken relationship with farming and fishing communities and support a sustainable plant-based food system by tackling the crisis in energy prices, rising costs and the lack of security faced by UK farms.

“Supporting farmers in a plant-based transition will achieve all of this and more.”

From 4am yesterday, Animal Rebellion chained themselves and chained themselves to empty dairy lorries causing chaos and causing damage worth £80,000.

Some 43 eco-warriors have been arrested across the country on suspicion of aggravated trespassing as Animal Rebellion activists took action for the third day in a row.

This wreaked havoc on motorists trying to access major industrial areas in Droitwich, Worcestershire; Willenhall in the West Midlands; and Acton in West London.

The protest affected more than 40 businesses that operate out of the Droitwich industrial park, with workers saying the majority of busy lorries were empty of any food products.

Truck driver Manny Singh said: ‘I’ve been here since 7am, it’s just awful.

Following yesterday’s action, Chief Superintendent Ian Parnell said: ‘We will always respect people’s right to peaceful protest.

“But what we can’t do is wait and allow gratuitous criminal damage which will result in large repair bills and inconvenience.

“We have a long history of facilitating protests and working with protest organizers so they can take a stand in a peaceful and organized way.

“Anyone who oversteps the mark and commits criminal offenses can expect to be arrested and possibly taken to court.”

The Countryside Alliance, which campaigns for outdoor sports including hunting and shooting, criticized yesterday’s action and called for tougher penalties.

Spokesperson Mo Metcalf-Fisher said: “Dairy products are enjoyed by the vast majority of people in this country who appreciate the health benefits that come with them.

“If people want to drink plant-based alternatives, that’s their right, but these so-called activists shouldn’t impose their food preferences on anyone else.

“Animal Rebellion is desperate for attention, but its blind supporters are very militant and are clearly ready to cross the line between acceptable protest and criminality.

“We hope that the new Minister of the Interior will tackle these extremist groups firmly and quickly.”

Earlier this week, a mob of Animal Rebellion activists broke into a dairy factory and damaged truck tires.

Vegan activists were arrested on Monday (September 5) after they targeted Liz Truss before she was appointed prime minister.

Their second day of The action at Arla and Muller treatment plants involved puncturing truck tires and filling pipes with expanding foam on Monday.

The animal and climate group calls for an end to “bulk government support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system”, as well as a “rewilding program that will secure a future for generations to come”.