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Extinction Rebellion‘sLondonprotest has entered its third day after police warned those demonstrating they “must” go to Trafalgar Square or risk arrest.
Nearly 600 people were arrested in the capital on the first two days of the environmental group’s two-week protest, with activists attaching themselves to buildings and blocking roads.
XR are protesting in cities around the world, including Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney, and are calling for urgent action on global climate and wildlife emergencies.
Police handed out notices across Westminster in an attempt to reduce the disruption in the city and concentrate the action on one area, but demonstrators yesterday defied the warnings and glued themselves to the Department for Transport building and to the underside of a lorry outside the Home Office.
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The Met police are reportedly calling in officers from other forces as backup.
Despite criticism from some quarters the activists insist that this is an eco-friendly protest.
Piers Morgan tore into the founder of Extinction Rebellion on GMB this morning telling her: “You don’t practice what you preach”.
Downing Street camp has shrunk. This comes on the heels of a condition of public assembly being issued by the police yesterday, as well as over 500 arrests.
TFL have issued their now daily traffic warning in relation to the protests.
The Met are upping the ante this time, in two days they have arrested 531 people. For context, they arrested 1, 100 during last April’s protest in total.
Meanwhile, the group is calling on its members to refuse bail conditions. ‘They can’t arrest us if there aren’t any jail cells’ seems to be their thinking.
Labor MP Keir Starmer was applauded when he paid activists a visit last night.
Protesters are still locked onto the hearse, not by their heads though, thankfully.
While London’s protesters sleep climate activists around the world were busy.
Extinction Rebellion says some of those “locked on” to a hearse in Trafalgar Square have been arrested.
Police confirm 49 more arrests this evening, bringing the total arrested so far to 580.
More arrests in Whitehall tonight.
The Standard has contacted Scotland Yard to ask for an updated figure, though one has not been issued yet.
Activists played samba music as they marched to Trafalgar Square earlier.
Extinction Rebellion’s protests are “still going strong” in Whitehall and video captures drums being heard throughout the streets.
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