Extinction Rebellion protests: Group apologises over Tube disruption after furious mob of commuters clash with activists
Eight arrested as climate activists continue to defy London-wide ban on protests
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Extinction Rebellion has apologised after protesters tried to stop trains on London’s tube network, only to be fiercely attacked by a mob.
Protesters were dragged from the top of trains and attacked by angry commuters as they halted a train at Canning Town station this morning.
Dozens of commuters were seen pulling at two campaigners who climbed to the top of a tube train with a ladder before they unfurled a banner reading “Business as usual = death”.
Bystanders then began to kick one of the activists they managed to drag to the floor.
Meanwhile, another group of activists glued themselves to a DLR train at Shadwell while commuters shouted “We’re on an electric train”.
“We would...like to apologise to all those whose lives we disrupted this morning. We have spent a lot of time thinking about how best to respond,” am XR spokesperson said on Thursday afternoon.
“Extinction Rebellion remains fully committed to nonviolence. The climate and ecological emergency is the biggest threat facing us all today, and it is unfortunate that something like this has to happen for this to become ‘newsworthy’.
“That said, we are all incredibly sad at how events unfolded this morning, and are using this as an opportunity to learn and reflect as an organisation.
“Although we are pushing for disruption and civil disobedience, we are still learning how to do this in a way that does not result in violence, and that does not discriminate against hard-working individuals, especially those in communities who stand to be most affected by the climate and ecological crisis and are most vulnerable to systems of power.”
The group plans to continue its protests in central London, which have seen more than 1,600 people arrested.
If you would like to see how the protests unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below:
The Metropolitan Police have said 1,642 people have been arrested so far across the protests.
The demonstrations have included action targeting the Treasury, London's financial centre and City Aiport.
Protesters in Trafalgar Square have gathered to show the "range of profession" demonstrators come from.
There will also be "performance art...based around the theme of connection," an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said.
Traffic around Trafalgar Square is slow but roads remain open as protests continue, according to Transport for London.
Climate change will not be on next year's G7 summit agenda, hosted by the US.
Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed the omission during a press conference on Wednesday.
This was the scene earlier outside Parliament, where police officers spoke to a protester dressed as Charlie Chaplin.
Extinction Rebellion says thousands of protesters are gathered in Trafalgar Square.
The group are trying to highlight the number of professionals among the crowds.
"We are engineers. We are lawyers. We are doctors. We are everyone."
The actor Jerome Flyn, best known for his role on Game of Thrones, is out and about supporting the protesters.
"The uncomfortability and the disruption that is being caused is not really us that's causing it... It's our system... and the political system that we have," he said.
Extinction Rebellion protesters will march through Westminster tomorrow and adorn the area with handprints, using washable chalk spray
"How do we expect people to respond to much more severe disruption of not just transport but energy and food systems as a consequence of climate and ecological breakdown?" Extinction Rebellion UK has tweeted tonight.
"We disrupt now to try prevent the vastly greater disruption of climate breakdown."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments