In Pictures: Extinction Rebellion parks the bus as protest blocks London Bridge
Published: 16:25, 31 August 2021
Updated: 17:36, 31 August 2021
Extinction Rebellion protesters played another game of cat and mouse with police on the ninth day of protests in London.
London Bridge was the main focus with protesters and police facing each other, with a bus parked on the southern side of the busy capital crossing.
The campaigners relied on tried-and-trusted tactics of gluing themselves to surfaces to make the police’s task in removing them more difficult.
Road closures were put in place with police saying hours would be needed to restore normality.
In a year when the UK Government will hold the Cop26 gathering in Glasgow to discuss action to tackle climate change, the protesters made clear their feelings that strong action was needed.
The current wave of protests in London is due to last two weeks.
London Bridge is one of the capital’s busiest hubs for commuters.
Demonstrators say some of their tactics are justified by what they see as the Government’s lack of resolve in tackling what they believe to be a climate crisis.
Extinction Rebellion London tweeted: “We will leave the streets when the Government starts treating the climate emergency like an emergency.
“Covid showed what the Government can do in a crisis, it’s the level of response required for the climate but sustained over years. #ExtinctionRebellion.”
London Bridge was not the only site of protest, with other campaigners gathering along Whitehall.
Protesters pushed prams past the top of Downing Street as they vented their discontent against the Government’s policies.
The group’s protests have become a regular feature of London life and to date 367 arrests have been made during the current wave of demonstrations.
Eleven arrests were made on Tower Bridge on Monday.
Read more
More by this author
PA News