Extinction Rebellion climate activists stage sit-down protests in central London
- Hundreds of protesters gathered at Hyde Park in the morning before moving to Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they sat in the road and blocked traffic
- Calling for an end to investment in fossil fuels, Extinction Rebellion has vowed to ‘block areas of the city for as long as possible’ every day for at least a week
Extinction Rebellion climate activists marched through central London on Saturday and staged sit-down protests at several landmarks to call for an end to investment in fossil fuels.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Speakers’ Corner at Hyde Park in the morning before moving to Oxford Street and Regent Street, where they sat in the road and blocked traffic in the heart of the capital’s shopping district.
They chanted “save our planet” and “whose streets, our streets” and waved multicoloured flags and banners that read “I am here for nature and children”, “navel gazing into disaster” and “life on earth is dying.”
The Metropolitan Police said protesters were disrupting traffic on the famous high streets.
The force tweeted: “A number of protesters in Oxford St. & Regent St. are sitting in the road, blocking traffic in both directions. Traffic diversions are being put in place.”
The crowd later headed to Trafalgar Square, where they sat on the roundabout on the edge of Whitehall while a band of drummers played near the base of Nelson’s Column.
The Met tweeted that traffic diversions were in place at the square.