Climate activists glued themselves to the top of a London commuter train, blocked a major bridge at rush hour by staging a group yoga class and occupied four major London landmarks for a third day Wednesday as part of a global civil disobedience campaign that demands government action on climate change.
Major London road junctions and tourist sites, including Marble Arch, Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge, have been at a standstill since Monday, as hundreds of environmental activists have staged events, formed roadblocks and camped out in colourful tents in scenes reminiscent of the Occupy movement of the past.
Further confrontations were expected after the Metropolitan Police announced their intention to limit the protests only to the area around Marble Arch, and began working to remove protesters from their encampments at Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge.
“We will not leave until our concerns are addressed,” said Cressida Thomas, a student from Bristol, after the police warned her to move her tent in Oxford Circus. “That could take weeks or months. The more of us they arrest the better, it will only bring more attention to the cause.’’
That seemed to be a general theme among the protesters and their leaders.
“Our aim is to cause major disruption until the government takes action,” said Luis Silva, a member of the activist group Extinction Rebellion, which organised the protests.
“We’re not trying to be a nuisance and bother commuters, but we need to shake people for them to understand that this is a global emergency and we all have to participate to avert the impending disaster.
More than 300 demonstrators have been arrested this week, but that did not deter hundreds of activists from camping overnight and blocking the London intersections Wednesday morning.
Additional protesters were arrested Wednesday after several activists ignored warnings to move into the designated areas, and instead played dead, forcing the police to drag them away.
Extinction Rebellion says the protests in London are part of demonstrations organized in over 80 cities across 33 countries that will be held in the next few days.
The group has three core demands of the British government: to “tell the truth” by declaring a climate and ecological emergency; to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025; and to create a citizens’ assembly to lead on climate issues.
