Arrests made as XR protests restart

Scores of people were arrested as Extinction Rebellion protesters kicked off two weeks of civil disobedience outside Parliament.

Thousands of campaigners descended on Parliament Square yesterday afternoon where they blocked roads, bringing traffic to a standstill, chanted, banged drums and made a range of speeches.

At least ten were carried away by officers after the group refused to move from the roads around Parliament Square. The Metro - politan Police later confirmed 65 people had been arrested on suspicion of public order offences as of 4pm.

Protesters chanted and cheered as the officers took them away to nearby police vans.

Four marches converged in Westminster after the Met had said the gatherings could only take place off the main road sat Parliament Square between 8am and 7pm.

Campaigners enjoyed a carnival-like atmosphere, waving flags and banners.

One protester, Karen Wildin, 56, a tutor from Leicester, said: “I’m here today because I have serious concerns about the future of the planet. We need to put this above anything else.

“Never mind Covid, never mind A-levels, this is the biggest crisis facing us and we need to raise the message as loudly as possible.”

Last year, more than 1,700 arrests were made during Extinction Rebellion’s ten-day “Autumn Uprising”.