Nearly 500Extinction Rebellionactivists have been arrested as part of the group’s latest mass demonstration acrossLondon.
Thousands of protesters have descended on the capital, blocking roads and gluing themselves onto buildings in a bid to push the Government into taking urgent action onclimatechange.
Scotland Yard confirmed its officers had arrested 152 people in relation to the protests today, taking the total in London to 471.
Extinction Rebellion, also known as XR, also said hundreds had been arrested in other cities across the world as part of its “International Rebellion” which began on Monday.
Activists from the group continue to be spread over London though the Met Police has told them they must go toTrafalgar Squareif they wish to continue demonstrating without being arrested.
A statement from the force read: “The Met believes that this action is necessary in order to prevent the demonstrations from causing serious disruption to the community.
“Anyone who fails to comply with the condition is liable to arrest and prosecution.”
Protesters had camped overnight to maintain their stronghold on parts of central London, telling police they were prepared to be taken into custody for failing to comply with orders to move.
Some of those involved glued themselves to the Department for Transport building and to the underside of a lorry outside the Home Office in defiance of the notices.
Extinction Rebellion in the UK is calling on the Government to:
- Declare a climate and ecological emergency.
- Act immediately to halt wildlife loss and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.
- Create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Activist Mike Gumn, 33, from Bristol, camped overnight wearing a suit and a flat cap.
He said this was to show the protest “is for everyone”, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson described activists as “unco-operative crusties”.
Mr Gumn, an NHS manager who has children aged two and three, said: “I have a job, I have taken annual leave to be here.
“I’d rather be with my family.
“I want to make a statement that (the activists) are all different sorts of people from all different walks of life, not just people you would call hippies.”
On being arrested, he said: “We will decide as a group when we are going to move, and we are not going to let police tell us when.
“I would not like to get arrested, but if that happens when I am exercising my right to protest and deliver a good life for my children, then I will take it on the chin.”
Further disruption is expected to continue throughout this week and next, with members of the group’s youth faction set to protest outside the Department for Education this afternoon.
The action comes after similar mass action brought chunks of London to a standstill in April.
More than 1, 000 people were arrested during those protests and XR has suggested the latest bout could be five times larger.
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