Extinction Rebellion protests: Roads closed after climate activist scales Parliament’s walls, as group threatens to target Tube network
More than 1,400 arrested over nine days of protests
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Your support makes all the difference.Extinction Rebellion insists its “international rebellion will continue” and plans to target the London Underground after activists were ordered to stop their protest in London immediately or face arrest.
It comes after hundreds of activists blocked streets around the City of London in an effort to cause “maximum disruption” and demand urgent action on the climate crisis.
Flouting police instructions, this morning the group’s co-founder Gail Bradbrook climbed the entrance to the Department for Transport in Westminster while other activists glued themselves to the building.
Protesters have also been arrested after blocking the road outside the headquarters of MI5.
One demonstrator briefly scaled a fence by the Houses of Parliament, only to be removed shortly afterwards.
Parliament Square was closed while the operation took place.
Meanwhile, the group is planning to take the police to court after it banned Extinction Rebellion protests from London in a move human rights groups have condemned as “chilling and unlawful”.
Anti-Brexit barrister Jo Maugham QC claimed the move was a “huge overreach” of police powers, human rights lawyer Adam Wagner called it “draconian and extremely heavy-handed”, and Allan Hogarth from Amnesty International said it was “unacceptable”.
”This ban is completely contrary to Britain’s long-held traditions of policing by consent, freedom of speech, and the right to protest,” said Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary.
The climate protests are set to continue for several more days.
Extinction Rebellion said demonstrators “apologise to all those who may be affected by [Thursday’s tube protests] but this is an emergency”.
If you would like to see how Tuesday’s protests unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below:
Priti Patel praises police response to protests
Home Secretary Priti Patel has praised the Metropolitan Police's response to the Extinction Rebellion protests, describing the climate activists as "law breakers",
She tweeted: "Officers from around the country have done a fantastic job policing XR protests. Supporting our Police is vital.
"Labour support the law breakers who have disrupted the lives and businesses of Londoners. They cannot be trusted in Downing Street or the Home Office."
Office workers ask protesters to sing another song
Meanwhile, Extinction Rebellion activists demonstrating outside MI5's headquarters have been asked by office workers at Millbank Tower to switch up the song they are singing "every now and then".
Margaret Atwood: 'Booker Prize will be irrelevant unless action is taken over the environment'
After sporting an Extinction Rebellion badge as she was jointly awarded the Booker Prize for The testaments, Margaret Atwood praised the climate activists.
She said her second Booker prize would be an irrelevance in a world riven with environmental problems, before adding:
"Extinction Rebellion? I'm very happy to see them show up after all these years.
"Because the biologists and people in the environmental field have been saying this for a very long time.
Margaret Atwood holds up an Extinction Rebellion sticker ahead of an interview for their Writers Rebel Podcast in London (Reuters)
"It's extremely pleasing to see these young people taking hold of that, understanding it, and pointing out that if people don't fix this particular crisis, stuff like book prizes are going to become very very irrelevant, very quickly.
"This isn't even a question of your grandchildren, it's quite a distance away, it's not even your children. It's going to be you."
Extinction Rebellion protesters removed from caravan outside MI5
The last of the Extinction Rebellion protesters locked to the caravan outside Millbank Tower have been removed.
Police spent more than two hours trying to free the activists using electric saws.
Protesters applauded and cheered as those attached to the caravan were carried or led away in handcuffs by officers.
One protester remains on the roof of the caravan, while nearby a crowd of protesters are sat in the road listening to speeches.
'I am a rebel so that I can look my grandchildren in the eye'
Members of Extinction Rebellion Grandparents are getting ready to meet outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
One member of the group holds up a sign reading: "I am a rebel so that I can look my grandchildren in the eye"
'Climate is a class and race issue. Extinction Rebellion need to grasp this quickly'
It is unfortunate that the best recognised movement in the country still hasn’t figured out how to appeal to the people for whom the stakes are probably the highest, Kuba Shand-Baptiste writes.
Read more here:
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens cleared by police
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens has now been largely cleared by police, Extinction Rebellion said. However, some protesters have ignored police orders to leave.
The group said police had previously assured protesters that they would be allowed to camp at the park all week following the clearance of Trafalgar Square late last night.
Police move protesters from their tents at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (AFP)
Police move protesters from their tents at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens (AFP)
Church offers safe haven for evicted activists' tents
A local church has offered to look after protesters' tents and other possessions as police clear Vauxhall pleasure Gardens.
Tobias Garnett, the human rights lawyer representing Extinction Rebellion activists fighting the police ban, has said the order limiting protests "risks criminalising anyone who wants to protest in any way about the climate and ecological emergency that we face".
Under the current order any meeting of two or more people linked to the activist group is unlawful.
Sadiq Khan, who oversees the police force, said he would ask for more information over why the ban had been put in place.
But Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, backed the police in a tweet, saying: "Officers from around the country have done a fantastic job policing XR protests. Supporting our Police is vital.
Police officers have arrested 1,489 people so far in connection with the Extinction Rebellion protests.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said 92 people had been charged with offences including failing to comply with the Section 14 order, causing criminal damage and obstruction of a highway.
(PA)
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