Some 52 people were arrested on Monday after some environmental activists took to the streets of central London, blocking roads as they demanded the British Government to immediately end investment in fossil fuels that were driving climate change.
Extinction Rebellion’s fifth mass protest targeted what it called the “root cause” of the climate and nature crises.
Demonstrators blocked roads in central London, including around Trafalgar Square.
The activists also set up a large pink structure at the junction of Long Acre and Upper St Martin’s Lane with the words come to the table written across it to highlight the rights everyone has to have a say in how to tackle the crisis.
The giant table contained built-in lock-ons, so protesters could attach themselves, sleeping quarters and its own stereo system, and the activists were prepared to stay and occupy the site.
A visible heavy police presence surrounded the “impossible rebellion” protests, which were expected to attempt to disrupt London over the next fortnight, but no arrests had been made as at Monday afternoon.
Demonstrations scheduled in central locations included St James’ Park, Piccadilly Circus similar to those carried out in 2019 but more are due to take place in both north and south London.
The Metropolitan Police said a “significant” operation would be put in place to manage the protests over the busy bank holiday weekend, but acknowledged the activists’ important cause.
It confirmed that as at 10:15 p.m. (2215 GMT), some 52 arrests were made for a variety of offences.
The force added 10 arrests were made on Sunday.
In a statement ahead of the protests, Extinction Rebellion, which had gained the support of celebrities including comedian and author, Stephen Fry, and actor Jerome Flynn, said that they would target the root cause of the climate and ecological crises affecting the political economy.
Gail Bradbrook, Extinction Rebellion co-founder, said: “Our leaders in Government and Business have been failing us for years, they are taking us over a cliff.
“If they are in any way serious about tackling this existential crisis, then they will immediately stop financing fossil fuels, because continuing to pour petrol on a fire is an obvious sign of insanity.
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“Why don’t they act? They are wedded to a corrupt political economy, centred in the City of London that extracts vast profits from communities and nature, and depends on destructive economic growth for its survival.
“We need to tell the truth, humanity has to change course, we have no choice.’’
Campaigners held placards with messages including “Code red, where’s the action’’ while four people were dressed as the sea in a warning over rising sea levels.
A first-time climate protester said that Extinction Rebellion’s controversial methods were necessary behaviour.
Maddy Hayley Thomas, 33, said: “What is extreme is the fact that the government, huge corporations, all of our system are allowing the devastation to our planet, to the global south.”
In a video shared on Twitter, Fry praised the group for attempting to “make politicians really recalibrate, realign, revolutionise politics” through their “mucky” and “disruptive” demonstrations.
Flynn attended a protest on Sunday evening in which three activists scaled the entrance of the Guildhall building in central London.
Extinction Rebellion vowed to return to the streets earlier this month following a string of victories in court which saw activists successfully appeal convictions for previous stunts.
Their latest protest came after a major science review by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had confirmed that human activity such as burning fossil fuels was unequivocally driving the climate crisis.
It noted that with the impacts such as deadly heatwaves, floods and storms are already being felt.
In November, the UK would host the international Cop26 summit where the pressure would be on world leaders to increase action to urgently cut greenhouse gases and avoid even more dangerous global warming.
Source: dpa
