Eco-warriors’ threat to bring London to a standstill today

ENVIRONMENTAL zealots are planning to paralyse London’s roads today by creating human barricades at five major landmarks.

Organisers of the Extinction Rebellion group claim up to 30,000 eco-protesters are expected to block major routes from 9am. Scotland Yard warned drivers to expect road closures and widespread disruptions in the capital.

The campaigners, who include the granddaughter of a baronet, are demanding the introduction of a legally binding policy to reduce carbon emission to net zero by 2025.

They say they will continue to block key roads in London for weeks and ‘escalate civil disobedience’ if their demands are not met. The first stage of their global ‘Rebellion Week’ will see human barricades at Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Their goal is to shut down vital roads and transport links, causing misery for commuters and keeping over-stretched police officers busy for hours. The socalled festival of action will see food stalls set up and talks given in the middle of the road throughout the day.

Some protesters even plan to superglue their hands to objects in the road and each other. One of those expected on the streets is Tamsin Omond, the granddaughter of Dorset baronet Sir Thomas Lees. The 35-year-old went to Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. The most prominent figure in Extinction Rebellion is Left-wing academic Roger Hallam, whose stated ambition for the group is to ‘bring down all the regimes in the world and replace them’, starting with Britain.

Last November, Extinction Rebellion blocked bridges across London to bring chaos to the capital. In February, they took part in a nationwide school strike and on April 1, during one of the Brexit debates, a group of their protesters stripped off in the House of Commons.

The Met Police said it was aware of the protests. A spokesman said: ‘Those travelling into and around London are advised to allow extra journey time as disruption to the travel network is expected.’